He Āhuru Mōwai Manawatu Drive

EHAUS PACIFIC

He āhuru mōwai

Carbon Savings

10,862 KG

Heat Savings

74%

Perched above the Foxton Beach community with sweeping views to the coast, this stunning barn-style home is a clever blend of architectural simplicity and highly functional living. Designed for flexibility, it supports multi-generational living, working from home, and hosting guests, all within a compact footprint.

 

The main house centres around the open-plan kitchen, dining and living spaces that open out to wrap-around decking and landscaped gardens. Two bedrooms and a family bathroom complete this wing, offering easy, comfortable living.

 

Attached to the main home is a fully self-contained studio, ideal for extended family, guests, or independent teenagers. With its own bedroom, living area, kitchenette, bathroom, and private courtyard, it provides autonomy without losing connection to the main home.

 

Above the internally accessed double garage sits a third flexible living zone, incorporating a bedroom, a separate office, and a bathroom, making it perfect for working from home, or accommodating extra visitors. 

 

All of this is achieved within a total floor area of just 218sqm, thanks to smart planning and efficient storage. High racking ceilings and the classic barn form throughout create space and light.

 

As an eHaus, the home delivers exceptional comfort and energy efficiency. High-performance insulation to walls, roof, and slab, and thermally broken aluminium joinery all work together to minimise heat loss. Fresh, filtered air is supplied year-round via a Zehnder ventilation system, ensuring a healthy indoor environment with minimal energy use.

The result is a beautifully crafted home that offers flexibility, comfort, and stunning coastal living. It’s a modern take of the traditional barn form, designed to perform as beautifully as it looks.

"

After researching ways to build an eco-house we discovered eHaus Manawatu. From our first meeting and throughout the build we knew we had a committed team who wanted to deliver a house of exceptional quality, ease of living and a joy to inhabit. We needed a lot of flexibility in our home as our elderly parents were going to live here. We wanted a guest suite, and a dedicated office within a tight footprint. The designer and builder listened and came up with innovations that gave us everything and more. Would we build an eHaus again - absolutely yes!

"

— Trudy and Micheal

Meet the team Behind this project

Ross Bennett Designer Profile

Ross Bennett

Ross is a specialist in Passive House design and is located in the Manawatū, but works on projects around the country.

Design Components

Floor
Fully insulated concrete pad with a U-value of 0.182 W/(m²K)
Wall
140mm timber frame U-value = 0.275 W/(m²K)
Roof
Double layer of fibreglass insulation U-value of 0.145 W/(m²K)
Window Joinery Frame
APL Altherm thermally broken aluminium - Uf value: 4.1 W/(m²K)
Glazing
Double glazed Argon U g-value = 1.12 W/(m²K) g-value = 61%
Ventilation
Zehnder Comfo Air Q350 MHRV
Hot Water
Stiebel Eltron - 220L capacity hot water heat pump

Performance Specs

Heating Demand
34.2 kWh/(m²yr)
Heating Load
20.5W/m²
Frequency of Overheating
1.6% year over 25C
Treated Floor Area
159m²
Form Factor
3.83
Air Leakage @ 50Pa
1 ACHn50
Per Demand
50 kWh/(m²yr)

Consultant: eHaus - Maria Rei

Certifier: N/A