The Anawhata House is well deserving of a National Award for the accomplished manner in which it carries off its difficult but enticing act of living in a bush-clad wilderness. Composed of just one bedroom downstairs and another in a mezzanine above, the house is tightly designed around a simple but rigorous plan. A simple external deck and a classic gabled roof form wrap up this building in a small but sophisticated package with a firm reminder that you don’t have to be big to be a winner. Stacking external doors are slid away for maximum exposure to the outdoors, while the timber island bench effortlessly continues on to become a dining table. Designing this small and this tight means that everything needs to have double uses to get the most bang for your buck. Bravo.