The house is a clever response, robust and not all precious, to a client’s particular lifestyle and accommodation requirements. Aspect and location provided a context, and a clearly defined concept – a series of loosely linked and separated shed forms – informed by strong environmental considerations drove a project that was extremely well executed from inception to completion. The unashamedly simple forms are sited in an informal tussock landscape consistent with the wider context and the planning maximises sun and wind protection, and views of Lake Tekapo. Elements showing real delight and a bespoke fit with the clients’ needs, including a semi-enclosed union space in the main dwelling and an operable corner to a secondary pavilion, raise the house well above an ordinary level.