First Light House bach was named winner of the Best Designed Bach Award at the 2019 Bookabach Bach of the Year Awards and is now up for sale. Photo / Supplied
First Light House bach was named winner of the Best Designed Bach Award at the 2019 Bookabach Bach of the Year Awards and is now up for sale. Photo / Supplied
A small Hawke's Bay house which made a big splash after it was announced the best designed bach in New Zealand is looking for a new owner.
First Light House at Waimarama won the Best Designed Bach Award at the 2019 Bookabach Bach of the Year Awards but now itis on the market with potential buyers lining up.
The house's owner, Les Holland, has owned the home for six years and after putting the property on the market in early March he is reluctant to let it go.
He said that they don't expect it to sell soon due to the current situation but it has attracted a lot of interest and they hope to enjoy it a little longer.
"We worked hard to keep the house in its best shape and have tried not to turn the spot into anything beyond the basic comforts the house affords and the incredible location on the hill."
The property is valued at just under $1.2 million by QV's latest estimate.
The house has sweeping views down to Cape Kidnappers and out to sea to Bare Island. Photo / Supplied
This much awarded eco-home, designed and built by University of Victoria architectural students, first went on display in Wellington, with the same students going on to run their own business, First Light Studio.
It was then shipped to Washington DC in 2012 to compete in the international Solar Decathlon Competition where it came first in engineering, second for architecture and third overall.
Now this solar home of the future has been permanently sited on Lightning Ridge overlooking the white sands of Waimarama Beach, a 25-minute drive from Havelock North, where Holland purchased it in 2014.
Owner Les Holland said he loves the small size, saying it's like one big family room. Photo / Supplied
The house has substantial indoor-outdoor flow with more than 100m of decks overlooking the surf beach.
Along with sweeping views down to Cape Kidnappers and out to sea to Bare Island, the location is perfect for such a special house.
This one-bedroom, two-bathroom bach isn't overly big but Holland says that's what he likes about the place.
"I love that it is small, essentially one big family room," he said.
"So a visit to the beach takes us back to basics, board games and conversations, long since lost in our regular home."
