Settled into the Heathcote Valley, this home built by Jim the Builder, shows the power of building on the hill and the power of doing it right.

WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Jamie Armstrong

Karen and Peter always knew they wanted to live in Christchurch’s sleepy valley of Heathcote. Just far enough away from the city to provide them some peace and tranquillity, but close enough to be a stone’s throw away, this section ticked all their boxes.

“It was more of a case of the section finding us, once we set about hunting,” says Peter Wilkins, co-owner of the impressive wood and steel-clad home. “We used to walk up and down the valley from our previous home and so when we started making enquiries, the neighbour pointed out this section. The rest is history!”

It was important for Karen and Peter that the site was built into the hill, not perching on piles. “We wanted to be on the land, a part of it, blending with the landscape,” says Karen.

The result is a monolithic, natural-coloured building that appears to beautifully nestle, as if, in Peter’s words, “in the palm of your hand”.

CULTIVATED CONTRASTS The dark-stained kitchen cabinetry and white Caesarstone bench top from Ryan’s Kitchens and Joinery provides a smart contrast and complements the warm larch wall panelling. — **CULTIVATED CONTRASTS** The dark-stained kitchen cabinetry and white Caesarstone bench top from Ryan’s Kitchens and Joinery provides a smart contrast and complements the warm larch wall panelling.

The couple heard of Jim the Builder from friends who had already built. They heard the team was an expert on hill builds, so they were happy to proceed.

Keeping their interests within the family, Karen and Peter worked with Peter’s daughter Rosemary Wilkins, herself an architectural graduate, who was responsible for all the drawings, concept and detailed plans for the property.

“I wanted to keep the design to a simple overall form, and bring complexity to the architectural details,” says Rosemary.

These expressions of specialised detail can be seen throughout the property. For example, the rustic larch Rosenfeld Kidson cladding and featured interiors, the skylight above the entranceway, the cedar slats by the office and the impressive floating staircase. Like all natural phenomena, this project morphed as it went on.

“It was very much an evolving project,” says Karen. “Rosemary worked really well with Jim the Builder. They both understood our desire to maintain the view and to build a non-pretentious home on the hill.”

“We love the home,” smiles Karen. “We love all the brightness and the cool features of the home, such as the floating staircase, magnet-closing doors and the view from the bathroom.”

And it really is these details that make the home stand apart. For instance, the shoe cupboard that can be turned into a lift from the basement garage to the main living area or the charred larch front door – this home oozes style and sophistication.

Despite the basic form, the home build itself wasn’t without its challenges. One of the most complex challenges was the positioning of the house on the site.

DESIGN EVOLUTION Design features were added throughout the build, including this beautiful floating staircase and cedar slat feature. — **DESIGN EVOLUTION** Design features were added throughout the build, including this beautiful floating staircase and cedar slat feature.

“It’s a very steep site, so it’s all about a balance of cut and fill,” says Rosemary. “To create a home that is talking to the land, and at the same time meets all council, engineering and user practicalities, requires a fair amount of thought.”

Some might argue the biggest challenge in any build is making sure communication is clear between the builder and the client. Project manager for Jim the Builder, Nick Marks, was fantastic at keeping the homeowners informed every step of the way.

“My job is to be the facilitator of information between our clients, the site foreman and the sub-trades,” says Nick. “This ensures the project is delivered on time and on budget.”

Established in 2005 by Jim Stenberg, a local builder with over 25 years’ experience in the construction industry, Jim the Builder has grown throughout Canterbury and has won numerous local and national awards for building excellence.

The 275 square metres, three-bedroom build took just 14 months to construct. Karen and Peter are delighted with the result and couldn’t speak more highly of Jim the Builder’s project foreman, Patrick Quick or ‘Patch’.

“We really enjoyed working with Patch,” says Peter. “He knew his stuff and worked incredibly hard. He even got his parents over to have a look at the build – he was proud of his craft. And we are, too.”

Even the most challenging aspect of the build – a 30-metre long retaining wall – was managed professionally and efficiently by Jim the Builder. “It took a while to get it right, but they did a really good job of it,” states Peter.

“Every one of our team members at Jim the Builder is committed to doing a great job,” says Jim. “We take full responsibility for every aspect of our work, and once we start work, we’ll guarantee the client a completion date, so the owners can start planning their new life in their home.”

“We wanted to be on the land, a part of it, blending with the landscape .”

And this quality and expert workmanship is demonstrated throughout this home. For example, another beautiful feature of the house is the tiling. Thanks to MO Tiles, Karen and Peter chose from the company’s extensive boutique range. With a showroom in Barrington, Christchurch, the team at MO Tiles brings the best blend of global trends and brands to suit all tastes and budgets.

“The fire hearth is quite a masterpiece,” says Darren McGuire, managing partner and installer at MO Tiles. “The 600 x 1200 mm porcelain tiles have a mitred edge and look fabulous as the fire surround.”

Karen had in fact initially seen the bathroom tiles in Michael Hill Jewellers and tracked down MO Tiles as the supplier. “We loved this project,” Darren says. “The owners and builders have done a great job, and it’s a fabulous home.”

The American White Oak Veneer kitchen cabinetry has been stained black and is the perfect contrast to the light veneer of the interior larch panelling. Working with Ryan’s Kitchens and Joinery, Karen and Peter wanted a modern and functional kitchen that could be enjoyed by family and friends.

“We used a 20 mm Caesarstone benchtop in London Grey for the kitchen island, with a three-sided mitred box end. The island cabinetry is a two-pot poly lacquer, satin finish in Quarter Black White,” says Ryan Butler from Ryan’s Kitchens and Joinery.

By having a great team working together at Ryan’s Kitchens and Joinery, the team was able to meet the builder’s time frame required for this project and create a sleek modern space at the heart of the home, which Karen and Peter can be proud of.

Leasa Ogilvie from Beattie Air was also impressed with the home. The team at Beattie Air supplied and installed the heating and cooling system for the home and Leasa enjoyed working with Nick, the project manager, on the heating design process. She is pleased with the ducted Mitsubishi heat pump that they have installed.

“In consultation with the homeowners, we also made sure this home was future-proofed by doing all the pre-pipe work for services to the master bedroom, should the homeowners decide to add another heat pump at a later date,” says Leasa. “This means there are no exposed surfaces to retrofit and the homeowners don’t have to give up their precious cupboard space to pipe work.”

Beattie Air have been in the business of heating, ventilation and air conditioning for over 30 years. Leasa says, “We believe in having customers for life, so they don’t have to go anywhere else for installation, servicing
or maintenance.”

CONTRASTING TEXTURES MO Tiles supplied the striking black and white bathroom tiles from their extensive boutique range. — **CONTRASTING TEXTURES** MO Tiles supplied the striking black and white bathroom tiles from their extensive boutique range.

The hill site was no problem for Armitage Contracting, thanks to the team’s extensive experience. The landscapes, driveways and patio experts are used to the specialist and skilled planning that is required to carry out this hill site work safely and efficiently.

“Driveways and the associated landscaping are often the first things people see when they visit the home, so it’s important to get it right,” says Deane Moore from Armitage Contracting. “We do lots of hill site work. It’s a very steep drive and we needed to ensure we created a driveway that stands the test of time. In addition, we built a patio at the top of the property, to provide a sunny and sheltered spot for the family. It’s a beautiful site.”

To maintain that sense of connection to the land, Karen has been busy planting since the couple moved in. With over 200 trees and 500 tussocks planted across the section, this will allow the home to nestle even further into the land in the coming years.

In keeping it within the family, Rosemary’s twin-sister Anne, a landscape architect, has provided all the landscaping and gardening plans for the home. This really is a case of ‘home is where the heart is’.