Trends New Zealand NZ New Home Trends Vol. 30/10 | Page 21

Living for a time on the site can help
new owners understand the lie of the
land and get a sense of the climate before
a single line is traced on the architect’s
drawing board.
Such was the strategy adopted by the
owners of this expansive hillside home,
by architect Chris Wilson. The couple
lived on location in an old wooden house,
perched on top of the hill, for several seasons. That experience helped them decide
to set the new home in the same position
high on the site, but dug into the slope.

This would reduce the impact of its profile
and offer improved protection from the
elements, says Wilson.
“We had to do major excavation work
to nestle the house into the land. The need
to include a lift shaft to connect all the
levels made it even more of a challenge –
the old house was all about stairs.”
The architecture was dictated by the
steep site, variable climate and the views,
with the long, linear design maximising
the connection to the scenery.
The house is built in structural steel

Preceding pages: This expansive, three-level
house by architect Chris Wilson of Wilson & Hill
Architects is set into the hillside to protect it from
the elements and downplay its presence when
viewed from the street below.
These pages: Sliding doors on the upper levels
open the interiors to the seaside environment.
The open-plan living spaces run the length of the
house, interrupted by an architectural cutout in
the front facade. This ‘bite’ provides a sheltered
outdoor space, which can also be opened up on
three sides to the interior.

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