House on a Rock

Set on a hill with panoramic ocean views, this family home is comprised of three curved pods that create enclosures for bedrooms, bathrooms and garage spaces, with a large, open living space between. A floating deck wraps around the house, integrating it with an exposed rocky outcrop, and is sheltered by a hovering roof. Recycled brick linings intensify the sense of enclosure in the bedroom pods, while fully glazed walls create an expansive sense of openness of the living area. The generous curves of the building shelter outdoor living areas from prevailing winds.

The brief required us to develop a design that reflected the connection to the surrounding landscape from the sea to the port hills; to sit within the landscape and respond to and utilise the existing volcanic rock formations. This family wanted a home where they were able to easily come together both internally and externally, to maximise the light and view lines to the Southern Ocean, and importantly contour to provide connected areas of shelter.

This project won multiple awards for a design that responds to and acknowledges it's clear relationship and connection to the surrounding context. The built form interacts with and responds to the ever shifting environmental identities of the site.