Caption Credit: Registered Master Builders House of the Year Entry - 2023

Regional Gold Award Winner and National Top 100 Qualifier

Presiding over Nelson’s Port Hills, this architecturally designed house takes in great swathes of Tasman Bay and beyond. The shades-of-blue outlook is divine, as are the high-end linked pavilions that capture them.

The 319sqm home with a pale Scandinavian aesthetic has four bedrooms, an attic bunk room, three bathrooms, including an ensuite with views, open-plan living; and 161sqm of decks from which to drink in the views. It also has something that encapsulates the serene ambience here – the room of silence. Set forward and beneath the house, and with uninterrupted views across the ocean, this is a heavenly space for contemplation, wellness and retreat.

There is nothing in this pared-back room but fresh salt air, sunshine and yoga accessories. Creating this tranquil home required much creativity from the builders and designers.

The challenging site demanded clever co-ordination to pull off, for example, laying three types of interconnecting foundations. Not that you’d notice, such is the calibre of skills here. The aluminium cladding can bear the brunt of sun and ocean spray, and the sliding louvres across north-facing windows are protective and elegant. As you’d expect, the interior, with heated timber floors, is exceptional.

Designed by JTB Architects