The Views

A harbour view is the obvious draw of waterfront living, and it rarely looks the same twice. Wellington’s harbour changes from flat silver on a still morning to dark and whitecapped in a southerly, with ferries, yachts and the occasional cruise ship moving through.

Glare. Water reflects a great deal of light, and on clear days low sun bouncing off the harbour can be harsh, particularly in the late afternoon. Screens, televisions and desks placed facing the water can become hard to use. Light-filtering blinds, external shading where the building allows it, and furniture placed side-on to the glass make a noticeable difference.

Glazing. Big windows bring the view in and the heat out. Double glazing with low-emissivity coatings reduces both heat loss and some of the glare, and thermally broken frames cut condensation on cold mornings. Building Code clause H1 sets minimum thermal performance for windows, and those settings were raised for new buildings from late 2022. MBIE’s H1 energy efficiency page explains the current position.

Salt on glass. A view through salt film is not much of a view. Exterior glass on the harbour edge usually needs cleaning far more often than inland, and in most apartment buildings the outside faces of windows are cleaned by contractors arranged by the body corporate, using rope access or a building maintenance unit. Working at height carries real risk, and WorkSafe publishes guidance on doing it safely.

Privacy. Where there is a public promenade below, people on the wharf can see into lower-floor rooms, especially at night with lights on. Sheer curtains, angled screens and planting on terraces help keep the outlook without putting the living room on display.

More on making outdoor areas usable is under outdoor spaces.