This stunning award-winning Marlborough Sounds home was an elegant new build project, tucked into the hillside of Anakiwa.
The property is situated on a highly elevated and complex sloping site, which provided us with some unique design challenges. To achieve a practical and efficient solution for the client on this restricted site, we optimised our design through provision of features such as enhanced foundations which minimised the number of piles and concrete required, portal frames to facilitate the large doors and windows to maximise the view, and replacing a risky and expensive tied back 5m high retaining wall with a simplified 2.5m cantilevered version, to reduce costs and increase aesthetics.
Site constraints resulted in a need to extend parts of the dwelling foundation beyond the restricted building line, prompting specialised design solutions to ensure stability. Fraser Thomas recommended deepened piles within the restricted building zone, designed to be keyed into a stable weathered schist layer located at their base, and restrained at the top using either concrete ground beams or through connection to the steel subfloor structure. The building has survived the recent storm events unscathed, a testament to the clever design solutions.
To gain additional space, the workshop/garage structure was designed to cantilever out over the sloping section, requiring deepened pile foundations and cantilever steel beams, with additional steel struts for support. Access limitations to the site, via a steep track, influenced material selection and construction methods, minimising the use of on-site concrete, and prioritising off-site pre-assembled components. The structure was designed to accommodate large openings, stepped levels, and a highly architectural finish, that resulted in this home winning the Housing category of the 2024 Nelson and Marlborough Architecture Awards. A credit to the designers and expert build team.
Beautiful photos for this project taken by Simon Devitt
