A minimalist holiday home to capture the stunning views of Kaikōura from a hilltop position was the requirement here. Wilson and Hill Architects and Nick Griffin Builder met the brief and a whole lot more.

WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Stephen Goodenough

Kaikōura is experiencing a bit of a resurgence of late. Few towns in the world boast so many natural wonders in such close proximity to the centre. Whales, dolphins, seabirds and many other species of marine life frequent the town’s coast, while the rugged peninsula offers exhilarating views in all directions. And with an easily accessible two-and-half hour drive from Christchurch or two hours from Picton, it’s easy to see why people seek to find a permanent holiday home here.

Such was the case for the homeowners of this newly built architectural beauty. The couple were looking to build a holiday home that took full advantage of the dramatic site overlooking the ocean and the mountains.

After working with the practice on previous projects, they chose Wilson and Hill Architects to design their abode.

EXTERIOR CLADDING The team at Properly Plastered produced an unmatched level of finish with the application of the Integra Lightweight Concrete Plaster cladding on this home.
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE Structural and fire engineers, PTL Structural Consultants combined their state-of-the-art technology and expert specialist engineers in partnership with the architect to create this high-quality home.

“Our clients were after a clean and simple design,” says Chris Wilson, Director at Wilson and Hill Architects. “The section site on the top of the hill is one of the best sites we’ve seen – with 270-degree views – we wanted to do it justice.”

And so began the process of envisioning the clients’ dreams. The homeowners were keen to have a place they could instantly arrive at and be on holiday. Low maintenance and an informal feel were crucial to the brief. The space also needed to be able to accommodate extra family members, but equally, they didn’t want a huge space, so it needed to be multi-functional and easeful in purpose.

“This home was never going to be a regular suburban family home,” says Chris. “It needed to be different.”

The result is a stunning single roof form in the shape of the letter ‘m’ with an asymmetry, meaning there is a more voluminous space to the seaside, and a smaller space on the other side, housing the kitchen and guest rooms beneath.

The issue with building anywhere coastal is using materials that are strong enough to cope with the harsh weather conditions. “There’s no point using paint, as it would soon get weathered and would not fit with the low-maintenance brief,” says Chris. “So we settled on an anodised aluminium roof and cerano natural finish unpainted plaster.”

this home was never going to be a regular suburban family home

These materials provide a long-lasting home and give a natural look to blend into the surrounding beauty of the landscape. “When building by the sea, corrosion is always an issue,” says Chris. “Also, the big wind loads due to the hilltop location made for a few challenges in the construction of the home.”

The architect hence worked with top-quality structural engineers to ensure the structure could withstand these high loads. “There’s a lot of steel in the structure, and large expanses of glazing, so it was quite a challenge to work out how it would all hold together,” says Chris.

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An expert builder was required to achieve this level of precision, so Chris called on builder Nick Griffin, having worked with him before. “Nick’s an organised builder, so I knew he’d be perfect for the job,” says Chris.

Nick took the new roofing system, steel and glazing complexities in his stride and was delighted in the product.

“Being Christchurch-based meant we needed to be organised working on-site in Kaikōura so much,” says Nick. He and his team of two worked away for approximately six months, making the commute from Christchurch to Kaikōura on a Monday morning and returning to the city on a Friday evening. “Luckily, we had a three-month lead time from when we were awarded the project to actually starting,” says Nick. “This meant we could use this time to source all our materials, which was challenging during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

With access to a nearby garage, Nick was able to store all the products, with the exception of the oversized items such as the roofing and the framing. The complexity of the build meant that Nick had to constantly be thinking three or four stages ahead.

“There’s lots in the design that required a lot of forethought,” says Nick. “For example, the interior ply walls had to be considered during the framing stage, so it all lined up perfectly.”

The construction of the roof was very specific, as well, with no trusses, so the roof had to be built from scratch and the roof framing built on site.

“It’s the subtle detail that makes a big difference to the look and feel of this home,” says Nick. “It’s been great to see that everything’s all lined up and the process was a smooth one.”

The result of this collaborative approach between owner, architect and builder is a truly unique home. It is a beautiful yet simple response to the dramatic site on the hills overlooking Kaikōura. The clients had trust in Wilson and Hill Architects to do something a little different to the standard, and this was delivered in the design work of Chris Wilson and the precision construction of Nick Griffin Builder. The homeowners can now relax and feel truly at home from the moment they arrive here.

Stylish storage

Alsop Joinery provided all interior joinery in this beautiful home. The Soft Touch Acrylic Finish is complemented by a continuous recessed black handle, while the tall units wear a stunning Satin Black Romana handle with matching Blum Legrabox Orion Grey drawers. The white Eurostone Benchtops with waterfall leg detailing are accompanied by an undermounted one-and-a-quarter double sink and integrated dishwasher. The island is also complemented by the detail of additional storage on the opposing side.

Alsop Joinery
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