Elizabeth Street House

Situated in Sandringham, Auckland, this design involved alterations and additions to a 1940s Art Deco bungalow. The clients sought to increase the area and functionality of the home. This needed to be achieved without adding too much to the overall building footprint due to the physical restrictions of the site, namely a dramatic rockface to the rear of the lower level garden. The design response involved adding a second level to the house, along with a moderate expansion of the ground floor plan. The layout of the ground floor was improved by removing a series of internal walls to create a large second living area and kid’s bedroom, and a newly configured kitchen and dining space featuring a wall of sliding glazed doors leading to the deck. Amenity areas are kept compactly together behind the kitchen, and opposite these are stairs leading up to the second level. This level accommodates the master bedroom with ensuite, walk in wardrobe, and a generous separate office that overlooks the ground floor below via a large double height void. A unique feature of the design is the bridge that leads from the new Master bedroom’s external deck to the upper level of the property’s garden, offering the clients improved access to this quiet garden retreat which is currently under-utilised. The home retains the charm of its deco heritage from the street, while the new addition to the rear is a hybrid of contemporary forms and traditional white weatherboard cladding, punctuated with rhythmically placed windows, sun screens and door openings.