Perched atop a ridgeline overlooking the Waimea Inlet, this expansive family home enjoys all day sun and panoramic views—two ‘must haves’ for the owners, along with a pool area for the family to enjoy.

“Originally part of a larger landholding, the clients acquired the wider site in conjunction with a friend,” says Simon Hall, Lead Architect with Jerram Tocker Barron Architects. “Together, they subdivided the site into three smaller sites, one for each of them, plus a spare site that was later sold.”

In keeping with the clients’ brief for a large family home and local ‘coastal environment‘ regulations, which set out height plane and visual amenity requirements, Simon says the design was kept recessive in colour and low slung to avoid dominating the skyline when viewed from the coast.

“The building was conceived as a long, low pavillon running north-south along the natural ridge of the site. This orientation makes the best use of the site, capturing views to the eastern Richmond Ranges, Northwestern Ranges and Mt Arthur. The bedrooms face east, while the main living areas have the benefit of both views to the east and west. This also allows the homeowners to follow the sun or to seek shelter provided by the building, depending on the weather.

“Entry to the house is centrally located within the scheme, with the private bedroom areas to the south end of the building and the public living areas to the north. A large feature exterior entry wall provides shelter and privacy to the pool area from the main entry and driveway. A generously proportioned, covered outdoor space with an outdoor fire and horizontal and vertical louvres, provides a year-round space with a direct connection to the kitchen.”

The exterior material palette includes shuttered precast concrete to visually anchor the building to the site—the texture of which also reflects those of the estuary—and darkly stained cedar cladding, chosen to be both recessive and to impart a natural feel to the house.

“Internally, materials were selected to blend with the exterior finishes through the use of similar tiles inside and out and the use of dark oiled cedar inside. These have then been complemented with soft, luxurious furnishings including curtains and sheers.

“Continuing the amenity of the home, the building has been designed to maximise passive ventilation and to minimise solar gain through the incorporation of generous eaves. A hydronic heat pump system provides underfloor heating.”

Simon says the real standout feature of the house is the way in which the design creates a variety of interior and exterior spaces—including verandas, outdoor rooms and the pool courtyard area—that capture the various views from the site creating a seamless interaction between the built environment and the natural environment.