Clients Scott and Jess first approached me in late 2020 to help select a site for their new home in a nearby subdivision. The development had strict covenants, and the clients, a tight budget. Coupled together with supply chain shortages, inflationary pressures, and forecasted H1 changes, careful planning by the whole project team was critical to deliver a successful project.

The clients work and play in the mountains, spending much of their time outdoors. The orientation of the home, connection to the landscape and a visual link to the Southern Alps throughout the home was a critical element of their brief from day one. Situated on a sloped site, the home steps down the hill to create three primary wings, ordered through a delineation of public vs. private spaces. The master suite and hybrid space offers privacy in a busy household, often requiring a work-from-home separation. The central wing contains the living activities with direct access to the outdoor areas on each side. When the winds change, the clients can retreat to the back deck, and these “must have” views remain centre stage with floor to ceiling sliding doors framing the horizon. The third wing functions separately for kids or AirBnb guests.

Striking a balance between the client’s budget and the minimum m² covenant was a challenge. Oversizing the garage and utility space - or as the clients call it “the toy shed”, enabled a cost effective solution by not only providing ample storage for all their hobbies and sporting equipment, but also a rumpus room for their growing family.

Reclaimed hardwood timber and metal cladding provide durability for a site perched on the edge of an exposed ridgeline in Canterbury’s harsh climate. The cantilevered floor design of the three primary wings lightly touch the site while the garage bunkers into the hill. The staggered form creates protective nooks from prevailing winds, while the roof plane running parallel to the topography ties the spaces together—intending to settle the home into the landscape, rather than contrast it.

Completed while with foster+melville.