When someone goes to the trouble of installing home glazing so stupendously large it has to be fitted by a crane truck, you just know they have a good reason.

In the case of this wonderfully transparent farm home near New Plymouth, there were in fact two compelling arguments: Mt Taranaki and the ocean.

To capture both the stunning mountain backdrop and sea view in front, designer Paul Rust went big on floor-to-ceiling glass, using the super-strong APL Architectural Series windows and doors in heights of 3.3 metres. Continuing the no-half-measures theme, more than 80 per cent of the exterior envelope of the living area and bedrooms is glazed.

Inevitably, there were challenges working on such a scale, and particularly careful thought had to be given to the manufacture of two large banks of stacking sliders for both sides of the pavilion. With six panels involved and a combined length of over 13 metres, each bank tipped the scales at well over two tonnes. Having decided to assemble the units on site rather than at the factory, the Altherm manufacturers then employed that aforementioned crane and a sucker bank to fit the panels in place.

To minimise upstands at floor level, the sliders were recessed into the floor pad, creating a flush sill effect. That same seamless look continues on the house’s exterior, where the local Altherm manufacturer fitted colour-matched facings between window units and at the four outside corners of the main wing.

To frame all of the clear double-glazing (the glass has a laminated inner pane and Argon fill), the designer specified DURATEC Matt Black powdercoating for the joinery, while an Arctic White Plasma door makes a crisp statement at the entrance.

The final result is a dwelling that is both bold and sleek, befitting those contrasting views of mountain and sea.