The brief for this site called for living spaces to engage with the views and sun, and connect with the bush behind. Though a relatively modest scale, the design was also to have consideration for three young children being at home for half the week. The small footprint reflected both the house budget and the complex nature of the land.

The steep north-facing site features several mature beech, and has a protected rimu and a small stream running through the centre. The view captures the crescent of Days Bay, and the quickly rising bush-clad ridge across the valley of the bay. The location is well sheltered from wind with good sun. This factor became an important advantage, allowing the core of the house to be organised around a covered deck.

A simple monopitch roof sloping west to east encompasses the double storey at the western end, the central covered deck, the link space with its separate lower roof and the small bedrooms on the east side. Each bedroom has a small mezzanine. 

The house was conceived as two wings – the children’s bedroom wing and the main living wing with a narrower link space between. The link space bridges the stream below and opens to the covered main deck to the north and the deck to the south looking back up to the bush.