O'Brien Residence - Piha

Date of completion: Expected December 2017

Region: Piha, Auckland

Size of Project: 350 sqm

Type of Project: High-End Residential

Architect: Waterfall Gunns Lowe

Contractor: Tasman Builders

Bravely resisting the elements on the coastal cliffs above Piha beach, Auckland, is a new rugged and modern family home. Designed by Sullivan Hall Ltd together with Waterfall Gunns Lowe to overcome the challenging coastal hillside conditions, the home will overlook the Tasman Sea for many years to come.

With a near thirty degree slope, the structural design called for a solution that would firmly hold the house to the site, while also keeping the site from slipping away underneath it! A terraced construction to suit the hillside and long structural steel elements allowed for a minimization of costly piled foundations. Recognizing the potential for unparalleled views of the wild west coast, structural steel was again utilized to provide impressive panoramic windows along the western face.