Access to the site is via a long right-of-way on a ledge carved out of a northwest-facing Remuera slope, previously occupied by an ageing house and a tennis court. The project for a new dwelling eventuated after an attempt to undertake an alteration proved expensive. The decision to start fresh came with the client's stipulation that the budget shall remain that of the alteration cost - budget was a key driver in terms of materiality decisions and space efficiency.

The brief was to provide for a growing family, retain the tennis court, and provide a new swimming pool. The house was to occupy the tenuous sloping ground between the tennis court below and the vehicle access above.

Conceptually, the design evolved to create platforms that capture the sun and delineate built form with the surrounding landscape. The resulting form was two volumes separated by an entry void, and the existing retaining wall surrounding the tennis court formed a threshold of sorts. The complexity of the design involved the sculptural weaving of various landscape connections and the requirements of the brief across the multiple levels of living space. The two rectilinear volumes skewed on the site frame the view of the pool overlooking the leafy suburbs beyond upon entry.