Scarborough.

Modern white house with a glass balcony railing, pink flowering bushes in the foreground, and palm trees overhead, against a partly cloudy sky.

Modern multi-story house with large glass windows and a balcony, surrounded by lush green trees and a tall palm tree.

Modern building exterior with horizontal siding, a wooden overhang, a stone planter filled with green plants, and a wooden deck.

Modern house with large glass windows, stone wall, and lush green plants outside.

Modern outdoor balcony with wooden decking, glass sliding doors, lush greenery, and a stone planter with fern plants.

Modern balcony with glass sliding doors, wooden floor and ceiling, overlooking leafy trees and sky.

A wooden deck with a built-in bench, a stone seating area, and a tree growing through the deck, surrounded by lush green trees and plants, with a transparent glass railing on the right.

Outdoor hot tub on a wooden deck overlooking the ocean, with a hedge and cloudy sky in the background.

A backyard with a hot tub on a wooden deck, surrounded by trimmed bushes and a tall hedge, overlooking a body of water under a cloudy sky.

A sleek wooden balcony with black metal and glass railing, overlooking a lush green landscape with trees, a river, and a city in the distance under a partly cloudy sky. A black cat is lying on the stairs.

Interior living room with a large sliding glass door open to a balcony overlooking a coastal view, with trees, water, and cloudy sky visible outside. Inside has a gray sofa with black pillows, a wooden coffee table, a television, a fireplace, and mod

Modern balcony with glass railing, wooden flooring, and sliding glass doors, overlooking a body of water with cloudy sky.

Modern balcony with wooden flooring, transparent chairs, glass railing, overlooking green trees and hills in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.

Modern multi-story house with large decks, surrounded by lush green trees and positioned on a hillside with a road at the bottom.

Aerial view of modern multi-story houses with diverse roofing styles, surrounded by lush green trees and bushes in a hillside neighborhood.

Modern multi-story house with large glass windows and a spacious balcony, situated on a hillside surrounded by lush green trees and other houses in the background.

Aerial view of a residential backyard with lush green trees, shrubs, a lawn, a small circular water feature, and neighboring houses with metal roofs.

Modern hillside houses with large glass windows and balconies, dense green trees and shrubs, a palm tree, and a clear blue sky.

Aerial view of modern houses on a hillside with lush greenery, including a house with a dark roof, a house with a flat roof and large balcony, and landscaped gardens.

Modern multi-story homes built into a hillside, with lush green trees and bushes surrounding them.

Modern bathroom with dual vessel sinks on a wooden vanity, two illuminated mirrors, a wall-mounted light fixture, and a sliding glass door leading outside.

Modern kitchen with gray cabinets, wooden ceiling and island, stainless steel refrigerator, open shelves with dishes, pendant lights, and a marble backsplash.

Modern kitchen with wooden island, dark blue cabinets, open shelving with glassware, and under-shelf lighting.

Modern kitchen and dining area with large glass windows overlooking green hills, featuring a wooden ceiling, minimalist decor, and a coffee table with seating.

Modern dining area with a wooden table, six chairs, a glass vase with white dried flowers, large window showing green trees outside, and a white wall with a decorative clock.

Modern living room with a gray sofa, glass coffee table, a wooden sideboard with a lamp and decorative items, a gray brick fireplace, indoor plant, and a flat-screen TV on the wall.

Interior of a modern room with a bed featuring a lion print sheet, wooden wardrobe, and a framed picture on the wall, with a dining area and large window visible in the background.

Modern interior hallway with wooden ceiling, white walls, a bench with a patterned cushion, and glass doors opening to a stone and greenery outdoor space.

Modern bathroom with a glass shower enclosure, beige stone tiles, a white vessel sink on a wooden vanity, a rectangular mirror with backlighting, and a wall-mounted light fixture.

Modern bathroom with a floating wooden vanity, round vessel sink, illuminated mirror, towel warmer, and a bathtub with a plant.

A bright, minimalist interior hallway with white walls, ceiling, and built-in cabinets, featuring skylights and a framed picture hanging on the wall.

Bedroom with large sliding glass door overlooking ocean, beside a gray armchair with wooden arms and a decorative pillow.

Located in the coastal hillside of Christchurch “Scarborough” serves as an earthquake rebuild of a cherished family home that on the site that has been occupied by the owners for over 40 years. The residence ascends over five stories, thoughtfully designed around extensive established gardens nurtured by the owner and nestled against the hillside. Large portions of the exposed rocky hillside have been cleaned and picture-framed via windows back into the hill, overing glimpses as you transition through the home. On the opposite side, panoramic views over Sumner and towards the Kaikoura Ranges create a breathtaking backdrop for daily living.
To accommodate occupants of all ages, the home incorporates two separate lifts for ease of access between all living areas. Given the site’s challenging topography and restricted access, structural elements were thoughtfully designed in short sections to enable them to be carried up the hill whilst manoeuvring around the gardens. Stonework from the original home where thoughtfully re-utilized as landscaping walls and the surround for the internal fireplace, paying homage to the earthquake damaged home.
The design of Scarborough was built around a requirement to easily transition over the five levels that are formed by the building platform left behind by the previous earthquake damaged home. Extensive gardens, hedges, trees and hardstanding areas where retained, connected to and carefully worked around to ensure that they seamlessly blended in with the new structure.

Material selection played a pivotal role in the project’s success with limited access, steep gradients and large established trees all causing restrictions on longer structural members or heavy construction elements. In addition to access requirements for construction the design also needed to cater for accessibility for the owners and visitors over the five levels. This led the design to incorporate two separate lifts to ensure accessibility across all levels in addition to the stairs and walkways through the gardens.

With large expanses of rockface already exposed to the elements it was decided at an early stage to picture frame these via windows offering glimpses of the natural hillside as you transition through the interior spaces. On the opposite side the focus was back towards Sumner and the Kaikoura ranges with large portions of glass opening out to a tapered decks and roof lines that twist at different angles to offer varied amounts of sunlight where needed within the living space. The end result was a home that sits modestly within its surrounding and incorporates all of the elements the family have enjoyed over their 40 years of ownership.
Material selection played a pivotal role in the interior design of the home. With the owners love for mid-century architectural stylings a bamboo timber ceiling lining was incorporated throughout the lower living floor areas, contrasting the heated polished concrete floor. Existing stainless-steel benchtops from the original earthquake damaged home where restored and reutilized in the kitchen while stonework from the same home was re-laid as the surround to the living room fireplace.

With large expanses of rockface already exposed to the elements it was decided at an early stage to picture frame these via windows offering glimpses of the natural hillside as you transition through the interior spaces. On the opposite side the focus was back towards Sumner and the Kaikoura ranges with large portions of glass opening out to a tapered decks and roof lines that twist at different angles to offer varied amounts of sunlight where needed within the living space. The end result was a home that sits modestly within its surrounding and incorporates all of the elements the family have enjoyed over their 40 years of ownership.
Crafted by - Ross Bailey Builder
Photography - Stephen Goodenough