Hilltop Haven

A build that is in keeping with the owners James and Kara’s environmental values and personal flair.  Their forever home is lightly tucked into the hillside with a northerly aspect with views of the coast and the southern alps. It was spatially designed to accommodate an active family with multi-purpose open plan living, connectedness throughout and its link to outdoor living spaces including the working garden and pool area. Its unique shape is echoed throughout the house and its angles are accented with natural materials that echo the local bedrock, combined with and the use of vibrant colours. The house embodies the Superhome values and through these features have created a super-efficient low energy healthy home. A fully insulated foundation, highly insulated walls and airtight membrane, pvc windows, hydronic underfloor heating and the heat recovery ventilation system combine to create an amazingly comfortable house to live in. Gone are the days of layering up to stay warm! It’s clad in cedar, Cemintel Territory panels, and corrugated iron which is an ode to classic kiwi can do mentality, as well as freeing up build costs to invest in other sustainability-minded features. Solar panels combined with battery storage and rainwater and grey water collection help lighten the environmental footprint, combined with the extensive garden including a large vege patch and fruit trees goes a long way in striving towards self-sufficiency. Beehives will be the next addition! “This has been the fulfillment of a life-long dream for both of us. We are living our values, in a place that we love. Getting here certainly involved some grit, determination, and a commitment to closing our ears to people who could only think about the ‘normal’ way things are done. We are so proud of ourselves, and cannot imagine being anywhere else in any other house. I’ll only leave this place when I’m carried out in a coffin!” – owners James and Kara PROJECT PARTICIPANTS Builder: Poorya Behnami and James Irvine, Co-Creative Carpenters Architecture: Bob Burnett Architecture Engineer: Kotahi Engineering Studio Windows: NK Windows Weathertightness and Airtightness: Pro Clima Roofing: Sealco Flooring: Next Dore Central Heating: Central Heating NZ Stuff.co.nz article found here Photo Credit - Bob Burnett Architecture & Co Creative Carpenters