Clever, green and among world's best

The house uses solar energy. Photo / Simon Devitt

An eco-friendly Kiwi holiday house has been named in the top 15 in the world for its unique design.

The home on Great Barrier Island is owned by GPs Kim Bannister and his partner Frances McClure, who said they were not spending a lot of time at the stunner - but hoped to "as they got older".

It is one of 15 finalists in the residential category of the World Architecture Festival, judged in Barcelona this week.

Bannister said the home took advantage of the lovely setting and was a fraction of the cost of the other houses from here and overseas they had seen in the architectural festival.

It was designed by Paul Clarke, of Auckland's multi award-winning architecture firm Crosson Clarke Carnahan. It is the second time in the finals for the company and Ken Crosson, a partner in the firm, is travelling to Barcelona for the awards.

"It is an interesting piece of design really. Nice spaces, nice building, environmentally sensitive, cost effective," he said.

"It's something a little bit different but it fits with the site and it's a reflection of our recent cultural heritage really."

Bannister was not keen to talk about the money they had spent on the house, but was happy to point out its best assets.

"We sourced sustainable materials for building wherever possible. We invested in more expensive LED lighting to keep energy use to a minimum and reduce need for maintenance.

"We don't have a dishwasher. We have a large solar panel system for electricity and hot water. Waste water is treated in a full septic tank."