Waihī architect Kyle Anaru weaves Māori cultural elements into house-of-the-year-nominated design

Rua Puoto means "two containers". Photo / Paul Wainwright

Architect Kyle Tiweka Anaru is the principal of the Tohu Workshop of Architecture, a small practice based in Waihī Beach. His Homunga Bay container house Rua Puoto, which simply means “two containers”, has been named a finalist in Home magazine’s house of the year, wowing the judges with its Māori cultural elements blended with design.

The house was carefully designed to sit gently in the landscape looking over Homunga Bay while borrowing from the surrounding spaces - extending the sense of its volume.

It’s a huge achievement for Waihī College-educated Kyle Anaru, who said he is “up against all the huge practices from Auckland, Wellington and other cities”.

After high school, Anaru said he headed to Auckland where he completed his bachelor’s degree in architecture, before working in a handful of well-known practices in Auckland and a “good stint in Gisborne”, before coming back to Waihī, where he started Tohu Workshop of Architecture in 2015, “starting slowly and building from there to where we’re at today”.

Anaru says he draws his design inspirations from “the surrounding natural environments, and the people I’m designing for. At the same time, I really love to experiment with readily available local products that you can pick up at Mitre 10, like 50x50 fencing battens, No.8 wire, or using decking timber in interesting and creative ways”.

When asked what he thought impressed the judges most about his design, Anaru said they were seduced by the aesthetics: “The dwelling strikes a nerve with Kiwis - I think the aspects of the house that I’d say have been successful is the use of space, not just within the structures but the borrowing of the space around the container to enhance the sense of volume. Visually, the use of colours that speak to the surrounding environment, like the blues of the Pacific and the deep reds of the harakeke shoots, I think gave it the pop.”

The container home has been named a finalist in Home magazine’s house of the year for 2023. Photo / Paul Wainwright

Anaru explained his designs were truly bespoke: ”Being original is really important to me, really important - this doesn’t mean that the design should be outlandish, ostentatious, or even expensive - but the best designs always sort of design themselves from the brief and the site conditions. Surprises will manifest themselves through the design process, which you never would expect, but when they do, you sort of say ‘wow, I wouldn’t have thought of that beforehand’, but it fits perfectly with what the client is wanting to achieve.”

Several new projects are on the go, said Anaru. “Currently we’ve got a handful of really cool local residences in various stages of design and construction, and a larger local community complex project that I’m working on. We’re always on the hunt for cool projects to be involved with; I don’t care if it’s a garden shed or the Sydney Opera House - if it’s a cool brief that I can sink my teeth into then I’m in!”

He admits it’s a “super-exciting time for the practice”, not just with the house of the year nomination, but with current projects that highlight just how far the small practice has come in eight years working out of just a little spot”.

“I reckon we’re Waihī’s best-kept secret.”