A home to a busy family with 3 school-aged kids and a workplace for parents. A place for work and life. The site was retired grazing land consisting of 2 gullies and 2 paddocks. Having been retired, it was covered in non-native invasive weeds. With the desire to improve biodiversity and ecology, an extensive native restoration planting project began approximately 4 years ago and is ongoing. This runs in parallel with ongoing pest and weed control. A small family orchard was established with long-term plans for permaculture principles for food production.

We wanted a design that allows for close interaction with nature and for the house to be an integral part of it. A house is conceived as a shelter. It wraps itself around the courtyard with extended eaves and a low profile for New Zealand's rain and wind conditions. It opens out towards the views, garden, and courtyard, allowing for light and natural ventilation.

The use of low-carbon timber construction with modulated and repetitive structural timber minimises wastage. The use of durable and untreated timber for walls, ceilings, and floors meant that offcuts were collected and later used as kindling for fireplace and mulching around the garden.

Excavated material was kept on site to minimise cost and unnecessary truck movements. All exterior landscape ground surfaces are permeable and follow existing land contours and natural flow paths. Wastewater is treated and dispersed throughout native planting on site. Rainwater is collected with a total 75000l capacity sized for dry seasons.