Hill Builds

Steep sites and extreme weather conditions are common in New Zealand, creating challenges for our home designers and builders.

Here at David Reid Homes our team are experts at hill builds, and we’re passionate about designing homes using techniques and materials to withstand the challenges of New Zealand’s variable weather conditions and unique geographical features.

David Reid Homes Wellington Region recently completed a project that made the most of its steep aspect, while withstanding Wellington’s famous weather.

The Brief

Our clients’ brief was to create a modern family home, maximising the stunning views and natural light while being sympathetic to the surrounding landscape.

The Solution

The design solution was a clever response to the uneven terrain, creating a multi-level home that steps down the section making the most of its size and surroundings.

Cascading down the sloping section, this 3-bedroom plus study home presents only one of its two levels to the road, resulting in a modest yet attractive street appeal.

The house has been split to fit their lifestyle – the living and entertaining areas are on the top level, oriented to showcase the stunning views, while the bedrooms are tucked away on the lower floor for privacy.

The stunning custom designed galley kitchen with a generously sized quantum quartz benchtop creates the perfect hub for entertaining and family time.

Extensive double-glazed large paned windows and bi-folding doors enables the living area to be extended through to the balcony for easy indoor-outdoor living, while capturing the spectacular views over the Miramar Links Golf Course and Lyall Bay.

The separate formal living room provides a more intimate space to hang out with family and guests.

David Reid Homes Wellington Region Managing Director Tim Sunderland says understanding the constraints of Wellington’s terrain is crucial to the successful completion of projects in the city.

“Having bought the land, our client came to us wanting a sophisticated executive home on it.”

“It was a super narrow and very steep site that required all of our experience and expertise in engineering and earthworks to make it happen within their budget.”

“In our industry homes often get designed that clients can’t afford. This is especially true on steep, complex sites like this one, so our experience is crucial when designing on these sites, enabling us to come up with a design that matched our client’s vision and budget.”

“That’s something for which David Reid Homes is renowned for: getting clients value-for-money on quite difficult sites.”

What’s more, we do it with a fixed-price budget.

“We can tell our clients what the final cost will be before we start work on a job,” Tim says.

“We have a lot of expertise in-house, with our own project managers, building consultants and quantity surveyors on staff, as well as working with various architectural design partners.”

“That’s how we can offer fully managed contracts from the site visit and initial concept design, through to code of compliance – we take care of it all.”

What Our Clients Said

“We enjoyed building with David Reid Homes as it was a fixed price contract and we weren’t in for any surprises. The quality of the house and our experience went so well the first time that five years later we have just completed our second home with the team, which was built on a hilly site needing retaining walls making it slightly more complicated than our previous build. We would have no hesitation in recommending David Reid Homes to build a quality home for your family.”

Dr Giresh & Sathna Kanji