Known for its beautiful garden walks, Northbridge Retirement Village was missing a sheltered place where residents, whānau and staff could sit to enjoy the site’s mature gardens. This new, purpose-built day pavilion provides indoor and protected outdoor space, with a 360-degree outlook on the garden. It can be used for events and casual use every day of the week.

Situated in a prominent corner of the existing garden walk, and sheltered amongst low-rise apartment buildings, the 100-square-metre pavilion contains a function room, kitchenette, quiet room and bathroom. The main space flows seamlessly out onto a generous covered terrace on two sides, extending the available area for larger events and offering flexibility of use.

The building form draws inspiration from its context to blend in with and enrich its natural surroundings – the kōwhai tree becoming our touchpoint and one of the celebrated species in the garden.

The pavilion is overlooked by residents on all sides, so we treated the roof as the fifth elevation. Shaped as a kōwhai leaf, the lightweight structure cantilevers all sides to provide extra sun and rain shelter and to emphasise the qualities of a leaf. Folded tray roofing from the central ridgeline creates a ‘drawing’ of the leaf structure, complete with a spine and lateral veins.

On the exterior walls, timber shingles apply the texture of bark, while large areas of glazing are framed in yellow powdercoated aluminium to represent the vibrant kōwhai flower. Exterior pergolas support electronically-adjustable screens to moderate light and wind, and create comfortable ‘in-between’ spaces.

Inside, a beautiful lattice of exposed glu-lam timber beams, curving in two directions, represents a tree canopy. This was one of the main challenges of the project, but one that yielded stunning results. Walls are constructed from load-bearing cross-laminated timber panels, which leave the structure of the building exposed to celebrate the texture and colour of this natural material.

Cabinetry in the open-plan kitchen is made of white, laminate-faced plywood, offering a crisp contrast to the warm timbers of the walls and ceiling. The yellow window and door frames again provide a pop of colour in the interior, as one would encounter outside with the delightful flowers along the garden walks.

These biophilic principles give the pavilion a warm and tactile atmosphere and blend the building with the garden environment. Residents have a far greater opportunity now to experience the natural environment to help improve overall cognition and wellness.