The client had a clear image in mind: a dark, angular form rising out of a steep rural site — something that looked like it had landed deliberately, not been dropped there by accident.

The design responds to the hillside with a two-storey form that pushes into the paddock while keeping its footprint compact. Burnt timber cladding gives the exterior its distinctive character — tactile and dark, it catches shadow beautifully and weathers with the land rather than against it.

The house is oriented to capture long views across the Waipu valley, with the upper level stepping forward to frame the outlook and the lower level anchored firmly into the slope.