This steeply sloping site was zoned to permit residential flat buildings, but with our client’s agreement we developed a scheme based upon a series of small houses that stepped down the hill in a pattern of house – garden – house – garden as a more appropriate site response. This pattern allowed every house to have its own garden, and the porosity of its form ensured good sun sharing with the neighbouring residential flat building to the south.

The small footprints allowed the houses to step down the contours and minimise the amount of excavation and retaining required. The houses were clad in light coloured metal sheeting as reverse brick veneer to prioritise excellent thermal performance, and be a durable and resilient material during summer storms and hail events. A series of fixed glazed picture windows arranged to capture garden or district views were balanced with operable timber elements to provide ventilation without compromising the privacy of neighbouring dwellings.

The local authority imposed an alternative site plan on the scheme that rotated the houses off the contours and created a new ‘heritage’ front setback on the site. This made the houses less sympathetic to the natural topography and built context, reduced solar access and amenity to both the houses and gardens, and shared less sun with neighbouring dwellings. The authority replaced the durable metal sheeting with weatherboards, and substituted the warm, characterful red brick for a more solar absorbent dark brown.

We share the original scheme as a more positive, affordable, sustainable and neighbourly model for medium density housing on sloping sites.