Tucked quietly off prestigious Arney Road, this remarkable Remuera home blends beauty, intelligence, and balance. Created a decade ago with passion and foresight by the current owners, it’s a showcase of passive solar design that delivers low-cost, year-round comfort without compromise.
From the moment you arrive, you feel its calm. Sunlight plays across a vast polished concrete floor that stores and releases warmth. Recycled native timbers link the home’s past with its modern, future-ready form. Wrapped in locally sourced Cypress Lusitanica, the house feels organic and enduring — a natural fit for its verdant valley setting.
Inside, the temperature feels just right — a quiet collaboration of sunlight, airflow, and clever design. Facing north, the home gathers winter warmth through its thermal concrete floor, then stays refreshingly cool in summer through natural ventilation, shaded glazing, and a “thermal chimney effect” that draws air gently through the home.
Here, comfort isn’t engineered — it’s embedded. The solar energy system helps to efficiently power the home; whilst the environment is the clear winner when electricity is fed back into the grid.
Designed with integrity, this isn’t one of those airtight “passive houses.” It’s a living home – warm, breathable, and attuned to its environment. Every detail has purpose: wool insulation, fibreglass foundations to prevent heat loss, and a green roof that cools and shelters. The design allows the seasons to flow gracefully through it.
The interior spaces are open and welcoming — sunlight-filled living areas that extend to elevated decking overlooking a leafy stream valley. Upstairs, restful bedrooms capture morning light and tree-filtered privacy. A ply-lined cabin behind the carport and storeroom serves as a private and versatile studio, workshop, gym or fourth bedroom. Every corner invites connection: to nature, to family, to calm.
Families choosing this address value both quality education and a thoughtful lifestyle. Victoria Avenue School, Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls Grammar, ACG Parnell, and the University of Auckland are all within easy reach. Parents working at Auckland Hospital or the CBD can walk or cycle via the laneway at the end of the street.
Rarely does a home unite sustainability, beauty, and ease in such harmony. On a quiet no-exit street, this intelligent house proves comfort and conscience can coexist — and that family life in Remuera can be both aspirational and environmentally responsible.
A living sanctuary. A smart future. A home designed for how life should feel — naturally balanced, warm, and full of light.
