One roof links the garage, carport and Airbnb at Donovan, but the main home and guest accommodation look in different directions. That combination expresses the central aim of Jamie’s project: architectural cohesion alongside private occupation.

The commission followed the family’s earlier Orui home. This time, the brief brought a rural residence together with accommodation intended to generate Airbnb income. Both uses needed a place within the property, and neither could be treated simply as an afterthought to the other. The buildings needed to read together while giving residents and guests space to use independently.

Modal Architecture developed a common language of large overhangs, slatted timber and repeated posts. A continuous roof gathers the garage, carport and Airbnb into one composition, bringing consistency to functions that might otherwise appear unrelated. The roof is therefore an organising element as well as a visible feature.

The relationship between the two places to stay is handled differently. Orienting the primary home and Airbnb towards opposing outlooks gives each its own focus. This is the design’s principal privacy move: it retains a relationship between the buildings without asking the household and guests to share the same outward-facing experience.

The project also sits within a wider set of property decisions. Paper-road access, new gravel access and future subdivision planning are part of the project’s constraints. These requirements mean that the arrangement has to work beyond the immediate boundaries of the house plan, accounting for how the land is reached and how it may be used later.

Jamie’s rural home sits alongside independent guest accommodation that supports the property’s income opportunities. The roof makes the buildings’ relationship visible; their opposing outlooks establish how the household and guests occupy the property independently.