This modest, new-build family home not only perches lightly on the land as it leans out over Lyttelton Harbour, but leaves behind only a small eco footprint
Who lives here?
Pippin Wright-Stow (architectural designer and owner of F3 Design), Erica Viedma (yoga teacher), Jordi, 10, Rafi, 7, and Ariana, 3.
Background
The Wright-Stow-Viedma family’s new-build on the slopes of the port town of Lyttelton, close to Christchurch, hasn’t been plain sailing. From a problematic steep section to Mother Nature running interference with flooding and earthquakes, to the site’s location in a narrow cul de sac which meant that every time a truck visited (which was often) 15 neighbours found their access blocked. Oh, and did we mention that the brave duo at the helm of this build, Pippin and Erica, had a baby during this time, joining their other two littlies? Yep, very brave.
Eco-friendly features
- Natural untreated timber
- Heat pump-driven underfloor heating
- Secondhand or reused materials for fit-out and appliances
- A bountiful vege garden
- Timber panels made from second-grade timber re-purposed to make a first-grade product
- LED lighting
- Double glazing



“We really enjoy designing and building things so every single, spare second was spent on the build. In hindsight, focusing on the build was a way for us to recover from the upset of the earthquakes and recommit ourselves to living in this city,” says Pippin.





“He is like a magpie but he only collects items that he knows are durable, beautiful and functional,” says Erica.



Words by: Debbie Harrison. Photography by: Juliet Nicholas.
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