Vertiginous hills and mad access issues don’t usually faze Wellingtonians — but this site was a tad different. When Amélie Goldberg and Karl Wakelin came to investigate building on this 700m2 section in Wadestown, it had been on the market for 25 years. “At one stage, kids from the neighbourhood made a skateboard ramp here,” says Karl. But it was close to where Amélie’s parents live, north-facing and within their budget, so when Karl’s builder father, Max, gave the land the expert nod, it was all on.
Amélie, who’s a policy advisor on energy efficiency and climate change, and Karl, a building performance manager, saw this as an opportunity to explore green concepts in their own backyard. Karl had constructed a number of houses before, Max was a willing helper…
