Size: 348m2 (including minor unit) CREDITS: Engineer: Hutchinson Consulting

Contractor: MAYCON construction

Photographer: Jo Smith Photographer

On a prominent hilltop site in an exposed location, the design uses a simple lean-to form to establish protection from the prevailing winds while maintaining a low-profile, importantly minimising the visual impact on it's outstanding natural setting. A long, narrow building plan occupies almost all of the buildable area on the existing spur with the site dropping away steeply on all sides. The panoramic views are breath-taking so the intent was to simplify the design and allow the views to take center-stage. In terms of creating shelter, the lean-to form is about as simple as it gets... while also expressing the owner's love of camping and the outdoors. In essence the house is a camping platform providing sheltered areas for outdoor cooking, dining and bathing with sleeping spaces tucked in against the base of the lean-to roof. The house is nestled against a large earth bund created with industrial concrete blocks. This bund channels winds over the house and helps create a sheltered courtyard to the south, meanwhile the sloping roof allows sun to easily reach into this area which would otherwise be in shade. A woodstore is integrated into a corrugated structure on the north side of the house, providing clear separation between the vehicle access and outdoor living spaces, also as privacy and wind screening. Terraced gardens are being formed down the north facing slope - a perfect growing spot for edibles. It is hoped that the site will be used in a way that hilltops have been used in NZ for hundreds of years - for protection and self-sufficiency.