High on Scarborough’s exposed ridge, bleached cedar columns form quiet retreats. Step between sunlit alcoves and shaded reveals, with the ocean present at every turn. Read our clients’ story below.
A Contemporary Coastal Renovation on an Exposed Site
What began as substantial earthquake repairs became the opportunity to transform a dated 1990s home into a warm, contemporary coastal retreat — designed to sit comfortably on one of Scarborough’s most spectacular sites, with expansive ocean views.
For the owners, the brief wasn’t just about fixing damage. It was about using the repair scope to rethink the whole exterior, improve comfort, and make the home feel like it truly belonged in its exposed, sun-filled setting.
“It is with ease that I write a recommendation for Greg Miller of Chaplin Crooks. We required a full architectural scope, drawings and advice for our substantial earthquake repairs. The scope required full reclad, new windows, design of a completely new roofline and changing the look of the home from a 1990s build to a current and contemporary look.”
S & B McCauley, Scarborough
A major scope — and a steady process
With a large, technical scope and a liveable end result at stake, the project needed a process that felt structured, inclusive, and calm.
“From our first meeting it was very obvious that Greg was a good listener and was at all times very attentive to our ideas. He was open to discussion and debate around all alternatives and products that we had brought to the project, offering his advice and experience. This ease of relationship carried throughout the complete job…”
The planning period spanned a full year, followed by a nine-month build — long enough that communication and follow-through mattered just as much as design intent.
“Greg is extremely efficient, treats the customer with respect and most importantly communicates extremely promptly. He delivers on deadlines…”
Turning “repairs” into a contemporary coastal home
A key goal was to shift the home away from its original 1990s character and create a more contemporary language — still relaxed, still suited to the coast, but more refined and timeless.
The reclad was central to that transformation. Cedar cladding was used to most areas, stained to achieve a weathered, bleached look that helps the house settle into the landscape and light of this exposed site. The cedar is paired with deep-set windows and large-profile boards to columns, which frame views and create a sense of thickness and shelter.
Those deeper reveals do more than look good. They form sheltered alcoves and sun-soaked double-height spaces against the house, overlooking the pool — places that feel protected from wind while still connected to the ocean outlook.
Smart materials where the site makes maintenance hard
On a coastal hillside, good looks aren’t enough. Salt air, sun, and access all shape what will actually work over time.
To reduce future maintenance in hard-to-reach areas, the upper portions of the walls were clad in aluminium panels — a deliberate decision to protect the long-term performance of the exterior without compromising the overall warmth of the cedar.
Comfort and thermal performance — without losing the views
One of the biggest shifts in the home is how it performs day to day.
The original house already had generous window openings — and the owners wanted to keep that connection to the ocean and sky. But large glazing areas can come with a cost in heat loss and summer glare, particularly on an exposed site.
The solution was to retain those openings while substantially improving performance through:
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Thermally broken aluminium joinery
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Low-E double glazing
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Deep-set windows, formed by the new cladding build-up, to improve shading and reduce harsh sun
The result is a home that still feels open to the view, but is noticeably more stable and comfortable — warmer in winter, less punishing in summer, and simply easier to live in.
Clear documentation, fewer surprises
With a project of this scale, documentation and coordination make a real difference — especially once construction is underway and the “unexpected” starts to appear.
“We can also attest to feedback from the council, who commended Greg on the detail and quality of the working drawings submitted, which were approved quickly. The builders were also very comfortable phoning Greg from the worksite and eliciting details for solutions for the unexpected issues that arose and typical of a rebuild of this size.”
A renovation that felt productive — and well-managed
Looking back, what stands out isn’t just the finished home, but the experience of getting there: clear options, practical advice, and steady support through a complex rebuild.
“It has been a pleasure to deal with Greg and having had the experience of employing architects on two previous building projects, this renovation with Greg has been by far the easiest and most productive. We can highly recommend him for an outstanding completion which values customer focussed design, adaptability to renovation requirements and cost effectiveness of building technique.”
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