Q1: When did the work of Lance and Nicola Herbst first come to your attention?
In the early 2000s, not long after Lance and Nicola set up Herbst Architects. I edited an architecture magazine at the time, and came across some of their early work. It was smart and interesting.
Q2: In what way did they stand out from their peers at that time?
The Herbsts gave every project their all. On each job they were determined to explore all the possibilities, resolve all the details. Their buildings, even small ones, had some layers of complexity, but clarity was a defining quality. That, and the pleasure that they took in the material expression of their buildings, and in how everything fitted together.
Q3: You’ve watched their work grow, and it’s clear that they are now in a ‘mature-practice’ phrase in which they are continually refining and challenging themselves. Is there one house that, in your view, could be said to be the circuit breaker that separated the then from the now for them?
The Herbsts’ own bach on Aotea Great Barrier Island has been an important testing ground for their ideas. But the building that stands out in terms of the development of their practice and the raising of its profile is ‘Under Pōhutukawa’, a house at Piha that was completed in 2010. It’s one of those projects where everything comes together — right time, right place, strong idea, supportive clients.
Q4: Looking at that later work, what is its essence?
A disciplined adherence to the core concept that drives a project. This has become even more important as Herbst houses have got larger. The Herbsts are very aware that scale magnifies any design infelicities.
Q5: Your book alludes to the difficulties the Herbsts faced when building code changes made it challenging to adhere to their early bach ‘creed’. A moment that many future clients might regret?
I don’t think so. Changes in building regulatory regimes are often one-size-fits-all responses to the inadequacies of the construction industry. Measures intended to lessen the risks of building failure inevitably put limits on design discretion. The Herbsts are sufficiently talented to deal with the challenge. They’ll continue to find ways to imbue their holiday houses with a bach sensibility.
Q6: It has been all about the wood, that quintessential New Zealand material. Do they use it more effortlessly and intelligently than most?
The Herbsts certainly use timber more sympathetically than most. In general, they like to let materials — whatever they may be — do the talking. Of course, it’s not easy to make things look effortless. The Herbsts have worked very hard to master the specifics, and realise the potential, of timber design in New Zealand conditions.
Q7: And perhaps more daringly?
Some of the Herbsts’ houses, especially the earlier ones, are thrilling experiments in levity. The houses are very well made, but seem to flirt with ephemerality. Now, the Herbsts are digging deeper — bigger houses need a more solid grounding. But, whatever their size and complexity, the Herbsts’ houses are never excessive, and never out of control.
Q8: If there is one word one might use to describe their buildings it is grace. Would you agree?
Grace is certainly one quality of the Herbsts’ architecture. Beauty is another — a word architects use with caution, but really, the Herbsts design very attractive houses that rise to the occasion of very desirable sites. Another word that describes their architecture is ‘resolved’. Herbst houses have no awkwardness, which means they are inherently calming. But the houses aren’t clinical. They’re richly textured and have many moving parts, usually requiring manual operation — screens, shutters, moving doors. The houses exquisitely balance connection with nature and shelter from the elements.
Q9: Were you fortunate enough to own a chunk of coastal land and have them design you a house, what would your simple request to them be?
Do your thing.
Q10: Favourite of the 12 projects in this book?
An invidious comparison. Probably ‘Under Pōhutukawa’, which is a wonderful combination of beach house and tree house. It sits so well between the trunks and under the branches of the site’s mature Pōhutukawa. It’s a very sophisticated bach.
