The brief for this house was for an environmentally friendly 4 bedroom home with spacious open plan living, a versatile deck to capture the view and attention to design detail. The sloping site and original brick state house (complete with awkward addition and partial basement) suited the concept but created challenges for the architect and builder alike, such as unusual technical constraints and testing site conditions. Crucial to the plan was the position of the new stairwell connecting the offset basement, the ground floor and the future upper storey. The stairwell integrates the entry and ground floor circulation and a generous basement gallery creates an attractive space. Technical challenges ranged from “trench warefare” excavation, precise deck construction and pioneering drained cavity details. High environmental expectations influenced such varied facets as timber selection, cable routing, adhesives, waste management and internal finishing. The overall result an attractive and carefully detailed home that flows easily between spaces, links well to the outside and offers the family variety of living modes.