Sculptural construction

For the team at W Hamilton Building, the incredibly complex task of constructing Cliffs Road House, the 2023 City Home of the Year, was one that began in the very early stages of design.

A feat of engineering, Cliffs Road House, the 2023 City Home of the Year, required a complex construction process involving an in situ concrete spine, structural steel, and poured concrete walls.

“By being involved early and part of the consultant team prior to construction, we were able to gain a thorough understanding of the requirements and develop solutions,” Bill Hamilton explains. 

“Structurally, the house was very complex. Essentially, it has an in situ concrete spine from which the cantilevers pull through. It required a lot of structural steel interwoven with poured in situ concrete, and the concrete became the finished
walls so there was a lot of care and attention paid to the formwork. 

The structural complexity of the house required a careful interweaving of structural steel and poured in situ concrete.

“Another challenge was the indoor swimming pool, and handling the air movement around it so that moisture didn’t escape into the rest of the house. This was a once-in-a-lifetime project, a rare opportunity to construct a home that is also a sculpture.”

whamiltonconstruction.co.nz

 

Latest video features

In the Coromandel, a home with a humble profile and a thoughtful design makes the most of a stunning location.

Built with awe-inspiring attention to detail, this Arrowtown home is a fresh interpretation of a familiar Otago rural vernacular.

This sculptural Northland bach is a perfect north arrow on a remote farm high above the sea.

With the sun on its bow and the community at its stern, this is a house in which the elements are always front of mind.

Trending articles

Design News

Interior of the Year 2025: The finalists

We’re thrilled to reveal the finalists for Interior of the Year 2025 — a celebration of the most compelling, beautifully resolved, and conceptually rich interiors

Homes

The house that Zoom built

A house hyper-focused on hygge and family gatherings comes together in Wānaka under the architectural direction of Eliška Lewis Architects.

Design News

Objects of affection

Indice Studio has opened its doors in Grey Lynn, bringing Driade — and now FontanaArte — to Auckland’s design landscape.