Paul Wheeler
Stone walls and raw timber cladding on the Port Hills House by Philip Kennedy Associates Architects are in keeping with the rugged site.
Rugged building sites with spectacular views usually come with high exposure to wind, which can make for interesting architectural solutions. Port Hills House by Philip Kennedy Associates Architects, which has won a Housing Award in the 2021 Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Canterbury Awards, has the perfect solution – an extra-large walled courtyard. And what is most remarkable – the stone was excavated onsite. The house, which took 12 years to complete with tweaks along the way, wowed the awards jury. They described the block overlooking Governors Bay and Lyttelton Harbour as “exposed and dramatic”.