The build faced several challenges due to its remote location in Whanarua Bay on the East Cape. Sourcing materials was a major issue, as the closest shop was over an hour away. The construction team relocated to the site (four hours from Taupo) during the working week to help with logistics.

Communication with the owners presented a unique challenge: firstly they lived in Australia throughout the build, and secondly there was no mobile phone coverage on site. To keep them informed, the build team provided weekly video and photo updates and some details were saved for Steven, one of the owners, when he visited the site - approximately once every four months.

The clifftop location required extensive earthworks, including drilling forty deep piles into the ground. The presence of unexpected rock necessitated much of the excavation to be done manually.

To incorporate the owners’ curated materials, such as tiles and stained glass collected over their lifetime, the items were shipped from Australia and carefully integrated into the design.