Sited above the stunning Wellington harbour entrance, this project was originally to build a new dwelling to the upper portion of the site, and provide access to a newly created plot to the rear. Draconian planning regulations meant that rather than a new-build, the end result involved a 50/50 new build and alteration where the existing building envelope had to remain. Despite this, and further constraints of driveway access to the north, and strict height-plane envelopes from the south, the west-facing streetscape presents a cohesive design using a palette and forms that avoid highlighting the requirements. horizontal forms of garage, decking and open plan living space above fold into the raised vertical euroline-clad upper-level. In this way the house offers the streetscape new building forms and materials that complement its established suburban setting without assuming the cliche modernism-by-numbers aesthetic so often seen in similar developments.