David Maurice of LTD Architectural designed the award-winning ‘Back Country House’. It’s a stunning retreat located in the settlement of Puhoi, north of Auckland, New Zealand.

The property is a reinterpretation of the country’s backcountry huts — simple shelters found in the wilderness that can be inhabited by the general public. David Maurice designed the house for his own family. The project consists of a single volume at ground level for lounging, cooking, and eating, which spills out onto a terrace that serves as an extension of the home’s living quarters. Here, an outdoor fireplace ensures that the veranda can be used throughout the year, while two tubs sunken into the deck allow residents to bathe outdoors.
One highlight of the house is outside on the deck, where an outdoor table peels away to reveal two parallel bathtubs fixed into the deck in front of the outdoor fireplace.