The house is on a steep site at the head of a gully. Most of the site could not be built on due to council drain easements and reserves. The design is for the house to hover over, rather than be dug into the hillside, allowing daylight and natural ventilation to all sides. The main floor of the house sits over a concrete block garage/entry base. It wraps itself around a stand of Kanuka, at tree canopy height which can be viewed from all bedrooms and living spaces. The house is clad with steel on the more defensive street side, while it opens up on the other with dark timber cladding. The living room dramatically cantilevers out over the garage and council drains ending with views down the gulley to the Pāuatahanui Inlet.