Seemingly unmovable cliffs on one of Waiheke’s most public and busy stretches of beach made this project undesirable to many. Perseverance and design nous, however, showed how to maximise the use of a difficult site for exceptional architectural and planning results.
Located in what is probably the busiest place on the entire beach, according to Lance Herbst, one of the home’s architects, the site is surrounded by an intriguing neighbourhood of public amenities: barbecues, toilets, a bustling road, coveted parking spaces and a very popular stretch of sand and sea.
The site itself was a sheer cliff and few had considered building here because of the nightmarish logistics and resource consent process.
However, when a European couple — long enamoured with the Herbsts’ work — moved to New Zealand, they saw the potential. “Nobody’s buying this section. You have good engineers here,” they reasoned, and after five years of intense negotiation and engineering, the seemingly impossible feat of moving a mountain became reality.
The excavation was slow and meticulous. Dynamite was ruled out; diggers spent six weeks sculpting the land. Concrete retaining walls, waterproof membranes, and boulder management were required to secure the site.
The result is a long, slender home of subtle sophistication. Concrete dominates, softened by cedar screens and greywacke. Privacy and openness are perfectly balanced: high balustrades protect, while skylights and framed views connect with sea and sky. “It is cosy and relaxed,” says one of the owners, “especially on stormy days.”
A minimalist patio welcomes visitors, while slender cruciform steel posts at the entrance nod to Mies van der Rohe, one of the owners’ Catalan roots and their passion for design. The interiors mix raw concrete with polished finishes, rosewood, and curated pieces such as Paola Lenti’s ceramic table and David Trubridge’s cloud-like lamp.
This house is a testament to tenacity, vision and a willingness to rewrite the rules of coastal building and inspire new ways of interacting with the relentless sea that shapes and rules this island nation.
Words: Federico Monsalve
Images: Jackie Meiring
This feature first appeared in Homes of this Decade 2015-2025, which was published by Nook Publishing in 2025.
