This Is A Secluded Spot That Locals Simply Call 'Tara'

Gerrad Hall designs a series of modern farm buildings for collaborative clients in a valley near Mangawhai.

- Anthony Byrt

Mangawhai is one of those pretty east coast spots within striking distance of Auckland: inevitably, this has led to a lot of new subdivisions. But out the back of town, there’s still a secluded, private spot the locals simply call ‘Tara’: a long, winding stretch of road that leads to Tara Peak. So far, it hasn’t been chopped up into anything smaller than a few acres. It’s also an orchardists’ and gardeners’ paradise, with some of the best volcanic soil in the North Island.

Several years ago, Auckland clients of architect Gerrad Hall bought a couple of hectares on Tara Road that back onto protected native bush. Hall had previously designed a celebrated courtyard home for the couple in Freemans Bay, Auckland. But this presented a different challenge – one he was well prepared for, having spent his childhood on a dairy farm in Orewa, north of Auckland. One of the clients had also grown up on a farm. The answer became clear: a series of homages to Northland farm buildings.

The project was also shaped by the clients’ desire for a hands-on role in the build. Ordinarily, Hall would have been cautious, but this was different. “It’s a special project,” he says. “Their sensibilities are different from the mainstream.” He points out the terraced landscaping that falls down the hill from the house like an amphitheatre. “There’s almost a bit of Capability Brown in some of the ambition,” he says, laughing.