“I’d like a single level house with no stairs on top of a very big hill, 
that will be a forever home to take me and my dog through my retirement years. 
 It needs to be large enough only for what I need (but I do need a lot of clothes), 
and quirky enough to make me smile every time I come home.” This brief, accompanied by some rudimentary design drawings, was the start of a great collaboration between the homeowner, DNA Homes and a host of other contractors to create the quirky Cosy Nest over the Valley. And this is exactly what we did. Designed very selfishly with only the joy of the owner in mind, it none-the-less has great features for long-term sustainability and adaptability. This home features a raised timber subfloor on tall wooden piles, allowing the home to perch proudly on its sloped site without requiring retaining walls or land reshaping. This met the owner’s brief of single level accessibility while reducing environmental impact and cost. Exterior materials include pre-painted corrugated iron for both roof and wall cladding, chosen for exceptional durability and low maintenance. Renewable pinus radiata was used for the secondary cladding and provided a canvas for a statement feature entry. A clean-air approved pellet fire and large double glazed windows provide efficient, renewable heating. Although designed for a single occupant (and a magnificent spotted dog), it would be easily adapted to a two-person tiny home with very few renovations, in the assured event that this house will outlive the owner. Further, this build has transformed the steep vacant hillside property into a secure and fruitful haven for birdlife for many years to come. This native garden will provide food and shelter for both birds and invertebrates, creating a stepping stone of native habitat within the fragmented northern Port Hills ecosystem. The majority of the plants used were eco-sourced (plants grown from seed collected from local remnant bush) to help protect the genetic integrity of our local biodiversity. Most were sourced from a social enterprise nursery that helps integrate marginalised and disadvantaged members of our community, thus supporting not only plants, but also people, to flourish. Once the plants have established they will reduce water flow and sediment runoff from this steep section to the properties below.

With the creak of arthritis limiting the owner’s mobility, accessibility was key in the brief, resulting in a level entry home seamlessly integrated into a hillside. Inside, the fully tiled laundry/bath were modelled after a high end hotel, but designed with infinite accessibility, ensuring safety and long term independence for the owner. These practical features, however, are lost in the luxurious tiling, wallcoverings and fittings, including the extravagant carved rock basin and waterfall faucet. A skylight allows a stream of sunlight into the room. The washer/dryer is concealed in built-in cupboards but with cleverly designed features of a hidden folding table, a drying rack and hanging clothes rails. A mere three steps away, the walk-in wardrobe greets you with luxury - zebras, roses and a crystal chandelier. It houses floor to ceiling shelving and hanging racks for the owner’s overly extensive wardrobe, while a hidden floor to ceiling shoe rack and full length mirror provide the finishing touches and keeps everything within reach but out of sight. Full height glass barn doors close off these two spaces from the centre hallway, which is highlighted by a stunning feature light and a bespoke gin cupboard to fix an accompanying drink as you enter the ‘great room’. And it is great! Skylights and raked ceilings add volume and daylight, making the interior feel expansive without increasing the footprint. The thoughtful layout maximises comfort and usability, with bifold glass doors connecting to a generous hardwood deck – creating greater expanse to the already ‘great room’ and enhancing natural ventilation, while aesthetically maximising stunning views across the valley. The bed cupboard and kitchenette are cleverly concealed behind cupboard doors. They are easily accessible, but also easily obscured from the living area. This home is not only compact – it is deeply liveable.

The interior and exterior finishes are meticulous. The house was crafted by multi-award-winning Registered Master Builders DNA Homes and met an exceptionally high standard of craftsmanship, exceeding industry norms. Every detail – from deck alignment to precision-installed double glazing to overhead skylights – reflects skilled and thoughtful workmanship. The high-end finishes dress the solid frame beautifully. Joinery by Design created the bespoke – and perfectly colourful – joinery, which eliminated the need for internal framing, optimising usable space and facilitating ease of revision to the dwelling if needed by future owners. Seed to Tree Consultancy designed and landscaped the beautiful native garden. The design of the dog run and the plantings inside it represented a great collaboration between Brick and Elm Landscaping & Seed to Tree Consultancy.

This little nest screams function and quirk! The subtle blue siding is offset by a bold pink facing. The bespoke Dutch door at the front of the house is cleverly designed for the owner to greet visitors at the front door without risk of an escaping dog. Multipurpose, it also allows air flow from the bifold doors in the ‘great room’ through the front door, keeping the house cooler in summer. Small portholes in the door at dog and owner height allow a secure view to the front of the property. Inside, the mono-pitched roof of the ‘great room’ mirrors the natural slope of the land and is cleverly tiered—allowing high glazing to bring in light without compromising privacy. The inside, as with the outside, is defined by innovative use of space and colour. The bold orange kitchenette, cosy ‘bed cupboard’ with skylight to watch the stars, concealed trundle bed, and wardrobe are all integrated using skilfully designed custom joinery, eliminating bulk and maximising openness. The use of colourful abstract murals on cupboard doors provides ‘art’ in a house where blank wall space for more traditional art is sacrificed to allow expansive views of the Port Hills on three of the four walls. Clean white walls, with a pop of pink trim, frame the windows and doors. This house is not beige and grey, but makes unabashed use of colour to provide personality in spades. Storage and utility spaces are contained within a ‘fun’ctional covered bin area and EV charging station, giving colourful personality that is easily accessible to these mundane but critical services. A key remit from the owner was accommodation for a much loved dalmatian. A hidden cupboard near the entry houses dog leashes, collars and treats and built into the kitchen joinery is a feeding station that is concealed when not in use. Cleverly camouflaged in the wardrobe is a trap door, that when opened, reveals a padded ramp down to the dog run, allowing indoor-outdoor access without requiring the owner to traverse the slope of the hill to let the dog out. The steep footprint of the house has been transformed by Brick and Elm Landscaping into a large secure dog run. Fully fenced, it is complete with three level decks built into the hillside, a dog bed, doghouse and swimming tub. With the house as the roof of the run, this pup will never be left out in the rain. The planted perimeter and central toi toi were carefully selected by Seed to Tree Consultancy. Eight metres above her run, the outside deck balustrade overlooking the valley is extended in height to assure that she can’t take a flying leap to chase a cat on the ground below.

This 52m2 home is perched at the top of a 700m2 section, sloped at 16 degrees. To maximise bird life (and avoid the need for high maintenance and expensive section care), Seed to Tree Consultancy selected over 500 carefully curated native plants that have transformed bare land into a native habitat. These plants have been chosen to be in keeping with the local flora of the area. Once these natives have grown, three back-lit Corten steel sculptures, mounted on the remains of house piles, will rise above the native habitat. Visually striking and contextually sensitive, this home’s clean architectural lines, extensive glazing, and natural materials blend beautifully with the landscape. Standout features include: • Panoramic views across Heathcote Valley and Pegasus Bay. • A hardwood deck accessed via wide bifold doors, thus increasing usable space in the summer months. • Raked ceilings and high windows not only enhance light and spaciousness but also enable cross-ventilation throughout the house from all directions, providing natural cooling during the summer months; a pellet fire and double glazing ensure the home is indeed cosy in the winter. • A secure, built-in outdoor nook for the cossetted canine – with her own internal access door to outside, and storage features inside. • Elegant integration of function and style, down to the EV charger and bin storage. • Importantly for the owner…it is not beige or grey! Bold colours and prints offset by white walls and clean lines perfectly align with the homeowner’s brief. Indeed, it makes her smile broadly every time she comes home.

Cosy Nest over the Valley is a heartfelt response to the homeowner’s vision – a sanctuary that balances sustainability, comfort, and immense character. But it is not only a good effort at responding to this vision, DNA Homes and collaborating contractors managed to accurately replicate what was in the owner’s vivid imagination and bring it clearly to life, creating a home that is far from the norm and just oozes personality. This was done while successfully navigating complex planning requirements, challenging terrain, and the ever-evolving requests of its owner (and her dog!).

• Joinery by Design • Seed to Tree Landscaping • Brick and Elm Landscaping