iPad

Proving to be both a dab hand at modular architecture and catchy names, Andre Hodgskin is launching the new Kiwi bach.

When architect Andre Hodgskin launched the Bachkit in 2000, the chic, modular holiday home was an instant hit, garnering international attention and high praise from architectural critics. But what was intended to be an affordable holiday house for Kiwis to plonk on their increasingly expensive little slices of paradise quickly saw an upward price spiral of its own, as buyers went for higher and higher specifications on the basic plan.

Seven years later, Hodgskin is having a second crack at the well-designed-but-affordable prefab holiday home: the iPad. Developed by Hodgskin and his partner Russell Cannons at Architex, the kitset building is half the size of its predecessor and is unabashedly minimal: a 40sqm studio that is based on a standard 1.2 metre panel unit, with a clip-on service area comprising the kitchen and bathroom. The room can be divided into two spaces by a fold-down double bed divider. And for just $125,000 it can be delivered to your holiday section in a flatpack, ready for assembly like an IKEA bookcase.

But simple doesn’t mean simplistic. The choice to base the design on a standard 1.2m module means there is no cutting or finishing required for the panels, saving money on production and installation. The floor-to-ceiling glass panels along the front and two sides of the design slide back into packing-crate style pockets, which also provide screening for privacy and shelter. Creosote exteriors and white bleached timber floors (although all elements can be customized) give the design a relaxed, but modern feel. “It has a real ‘beach’ feel, a nice, natural feel, but it’s created in a sophisticated way,” says Hodgskin.

And if you love the design but don’t have a beach section (yet), don’t worry – the iPad can work just as well as a granny flat, backyard studio, site unit or temporary house. At the end of its use, it can be broken down, flat-packed again, and resold. Easy living doesn’t come easier than that. MW