Large-scale luxury comes to the rural outskirts of Dunedin in this sprawling, low-lying masterpiece. With more than 600sqm of floor slab and about 900sqm of timber-framed roofed zones, this was a mammoth carpentry project. Enter Stevenson & Williams who approached the six-bedroom, six ensuites project, configured in a cross shape, with relish. It isn’t every day that builders get to craft projects of this epic size and with this level of opulent detail. Where to begin? The semi-rural house, with claddings of cedar shiplap, precast-concrete wall panels, plaster and metal, combines strong angles and sweeping curves in one striking development.

Inside, curated materials (ply, timber and more of that precast concrete) and high-end features lend the house its sense of laidback grandeur. It’s evident the minute you walk in the door where curved concrete and vertical timber screening set the scene for the drama to come. The communal wing starts with the designer kitchen. In one direction, it spills into dining, living, lounge and media rooms. Dividing the dining and living is a freestanding fireplace. In another direction, the kitchen flows to a deck and patio leading to a stunning outdoor room with fireplace, barbecue and furniture for dining and relaxing. Among many more pluses here: passive design, CCTV security and top-drawer moody decor.