Memory, A New House, And A Tennis Court With A View

Designed on the footprint of memories, this Opahi Bay home has history in its DNA.

- Claire McCall

The familiar is its framework; generational continuity its building blocks.

Just after World War II, Ray McGreal bought this sloping site overlooking a quiet curve of coast in Mahurangi, north of Auckland, where colourful upturned dinghies waited for a favourable tide. Some years later, in 1953, he entrusted his neighbour to oversee the build of a holiday retreat. The plans featured a simple fibrolite bach on the highest part of the land – and a rather more indulgent tennis court below.

Trouble was, the neighbour had different ideas. He instructed the contractor to transpose the two so that, forever more, the game-set-match play has taken place with the ultimate umpire’s view to Mahurangi East.

When Pat de Pont of Strachan Group Architects was asked to design a home here for his older brother Mike and sister-in-law Karena McGreal, the architect’s first thought was to preserve and continue a legacy. One of Karena’s four sisters had bought the section next door and the family collaborated to subdivide the combined land into three lots, each with access to the tennis court. The dilapidated bach was to make way for a home where the semi-retired couple could welcome family and friends.

“I call Mike and Karena the mayor and mayoress of Opahi,” says Pat. “And that’s not far off the truth.” With a 50-year link to the area, the gregarious pair is active and open-hearted. Beyond the requirements of a three-bedroom home, this dwelling had to function like the local community centre.

In a place where time moves slowly, and bursts of energy occur when the fish are biting, there’s no rush to get things done. It has taken 10 years for the vision to become reality. “We are both makers and creators of things,” says Karena. “For us, there was no timetable; the plan was just to build as we had the funds.” That took a little while.