COAST & COUNTRY
A strong environmentalist ethic fuelled beachside construction, writes Robyn Welsh
Ask Len Prager what he’s most proud of in the house he designed and built in the 80s, and he’ll tell you: “It doesn’t leak, it’s warm and light, and the materials used are satisfactory for everyone.”
The now 91-year-old came to New Zealand from the United States in 1963, bringing with him his tools, skills and a strong environmentalist ethic.
He found the right piece of land for his house at Anawhata, which is slightly north of Piha and slightly south of Bethells. It was quiet then and still is today, thanks to the 10km gravel road through the forest and out towards the coast. At the end of the road there’s a parking lot with a spectacular view over the coast, and then a walking track to Anawhata beach itself.
Len had checked out other remote areas including Great Barrier Island, but he had to be able to readily access the building materials he needed to craft the eco house he wanted.
When he walked on to the land, he was captivated by the birdsong. “It was spring and all the birds were chirping. It was brilliant,” he says.
Len didn’t design the house to suit the land. He already had the plan for what could loosely be described as an eco-barn in his head well before he ever saw the property. “At that stage I didn’t know it was going to work but I’m a risk-taker.”
He applied himself to the task of designing a bespoke, sustainable house. The process took a year and a half. Then it took another 10 years to build. “It was structurally organised but I had to get the raw materials and then fashion certain components.”
Almost every plane of the house is curved, from the walls to the roof and carport and verandas. It has a steel superstructure, insulated iron cladding, plywood interior sarking and tawa floors. There is no need for curtains here, and Len loves the fact that the house is light in the daytime and at night, when he likes to starwatch.
The ground floor is occupied by his impressive workshop, with the loft-style living space on the first floor. It’s an open-plan, split-level design and accommodates a lounge, dining area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom with composting toilet on one level, and a big office space with a daybed a couple of steps down.
The big windows and access to two decks on this level give the area plenty of light, and the high, curved ceilings enhance the feeling of large, airy spaces.
Len made each of the curved panels that went up before the iron went on. There were 35 of them, with 350 ribs.
His daughter Lisa says it was a complex process, a bit like building a boat and a hard shape to get right every time. She has a great affection for the house, and has good memories of spending time in the workshop with her father.
“It’s always been a hub to do the creative things we wanted to do, with Dad helping us by sharing his equipment and his skills. He was very tolerant, although he did complain once that he had nowhere to work because I had taken up all the bench space to make wax egg candles.”
She has great pride in the home her father created. “He is a very strong environmentalist and was at the vanguard of the sustainable housing movement.”