On the east coast north of Auckland, Te Arai Links is one of New Zealand’s most considered coastal destinations — a low-lying landscape of dunes, native planting, and quietly restrained architecture set between farmland and the Pacific Ocean.

The project, by Studio John Irving is captured in video by The Local Project — watch below to discover more about its design and setting.

Along the 18th fairway of the North Course, a series of guest villas by Studio John Irving Architects sit gently embedded into the terrain. Designed for shared stays, the villas balance openness with intimacy — a place that feels both retreat and gathering point.

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A series of guest villas by Studio John Irving Architects sit low along the North Course at Te Arai Links, embedded within the coastal landscape.

A consistent architectural language carries through each villa. Weathered timbers, simple wall planes, and muted interior palettes allow the surrounding landscape to take precedence. Large windows frame long fairway views, drawing natural light deep into the living spaces. Rather than relying on decoration, the interiors lean on proportion, texture, and tone to create atmosphere.

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Exterior forms and interior finishes follow the same restrained palette, creating a consistent architectural language across all six villas.

A Shared Detail

Within the living spaces, a recessed Escea DS1400 gas fireplace from Stoke Auckland is integrated into the walls. Its sleek frameless finish allows the rendered wall to meet the glass without interruption, creating a refined, built-in aesthetic. The elongated linear design mirrors the low rooflines and wide glazing, reinforcing a calm horizontal flow and subtly leading the eye outward toward the dunes and fairway.

Zero-clearance design allows a television to sit above without interrupting the composition, keeping the living wall visually quiet. Gas provides immediate, effortless warmth — particularly suited to guest accommodation, where comfort should feel instinctive.

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Repeated across all six villas, the Escea DS1400 Gas Fireplace forms a quiet focal point within calm interior spaces oriented toward the fairway and ocean beyond.

At Te Arai Links, every element is designed to sit comfortably within its setting. The fireplaces do the same — embedded within the architecture, quietly anchoring the living spaces, while the landscape remains the hero.  Malcolm and the team at Stoke Fireplace Studio Auckland brought this vision to life, giving each living space its quiet warmth and sense of place.