Finishing the Build on the Hill

3 bedroom off grid home with its guardian mountain

​Some projects take a little longer to find their way into the world.

We first began talking with our clients about their East Tākaka home seven years ago. They decided to buy one of our pre-fab ten square meter Rameka’s to stay in when they visited the property while their home was being built. None of us imagined then quite how long the journey would be.

The eighteen month design and planning process led to building consent in 2022. Then came the realities of a challenging hillside site and a global pandemic: rockfall engineering challenges, COVID impact complications, long delays and, after a few false starts, a project that then sat dormant until 2025.

​Now, in 2026, the main house has achieved its Code of Compliance Certificate and this special build is almost complete.

Birdseye view of our East Tākaka build

Off-grid, practical and full of colour

From the outside, this three-bedroom family home has a simple, familiar form, with carefully considered stepped sections that create sheltered, inviting spaces for rest and play. Inside, it tells a much more colourful story.

The house is fully off-grid, with rainwater collection, a substantial solar and battery system housed in the garage, and a wood-fired Rayburn connected to a wetback and under-tile heating. Together, these systems are designed to keep the family comfortable and make the home work well in its setting, whatever the weather brings.

The foundations were another carefully considered part of the design. We used StopDigging ground screws, installed by their South Island crew, as an alternative to conventional H5  treated timbers, concrete piles or a heavily engineered slab. Mechanically installed with minimal excavation, the system reduced ground disturbance and toxic timber treatment leaching into the soil - particularly valuable on this hillside site. The CodeMark-certified ground screws provided a practical and efficient foundation that worked with the site rather than against it.

One of our favourite parts of the build is the generous deck, made from locally sourced macrocarpa. Beautifully finished, it looks out across the Tākaka Valley and catches the changing light throughout the day. It has been a well appreciated lunch break spot for our builders and tradespeople.

Deck with a view

​Craft in the details

Inside the living area, the precision of the negative-detail plywood ceiling brings a quiet sense of craft to the space. Its clean lines sit beautifully alongside the timber benchtop and kitchen cabinetry, while black tiles and fixtures add definition and contrast.

Carefully crafted funky functional kitchen

Our clients have embraced colour wholeheartedly. Bold yellow in the living spaces and rich blues in the bedrooms create an interior that feels playful, warm and unmistakably theirs. It is a lovely reminder that a practical, resilient home can also have plenty of personality.

Relationships at the heart of the build

Relationships are at the heart of how we work - our relationships with our clients, with the people who bring each project to life, and with the whenua (land) on which we build. At the beginning of this project, we came together in ceremony to acknowledge and honour the land, setting an intention for the work ahead and recognising that a home becomes part of a place and its ongoing story.
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Our clients have been wonderful to work with throughout the journey: flexible, quick to respond and open to honest conversations when decisions or challenges arose. Their warmth and sense of humour contributed to a positive and collaborative spirit throughout the build, and somewhere along the way, a great working relationship grew into friendship.

The final pieces

There is still some specialised carpentry to complete. Bespoke hardwood timber panelling around the front entrance will soften and contrast with the Sandstone Grey horizontal corrugated cladding mirroring the deck, while the remaining interior work includes a window seat nook in one of the stepped sections, roomy wardrobes and a built-in office area.

Future window seat with a view

After such a long road, it is deeply satisfying to see these final details taking shape. This home has asked for patience, persistence and careful problem-solving from everyone involved. Soon, our clients will be able to settle in and enjoy the place they imagined all those years ago.

We’ll be sharing more images and details as the finishing work comes together. Follow Elemental Design and Build on Facebook and Instagram to see more from this East Tākaka project and our other work around Mōhua Golden Bay.