Eleven Coates explores how medium-density housing can achieve the spatial qualities more commonly associated with a standalone home. Occupying a steeply sloping site in Ōrākei, the development consists of five dwellings that respond to both the topography and the expansive views across the Waitematā Harbour.

Rather than treating the change in level as a constraint, the design embraces the site's natural fall to organise the architecture. The three standalone homes step with the landscape, while a pair of three-storey duplexes occupy the upper portion of the site. Their vertical arrangement allows the principal living spaces to be elevated above the surrounding development, capturing light, outlook and long views while remaining closely connected to private outdoor spaces below.

A continuous brick podium establishes a consistent datum across the site, anchoring the buildings to the landscape and creating a clear architectural order from the point of arrival. Above, the built forms are deliberately restrained. Variation is achieved through proportion, massing and the articulation of openings rather than changes in material, allowing each dwelling to retain its own identity while contributing to a cohesive whole.