Lammermoor by DNA Construction

Located in one of Auckland’s more sought after streets, this family home features four bedrooms, four bathrooms, open plan living and front, rear and side decks to take advantage of the view.

“The original house was removed from the site and all new foundations struck and tanked to allow for this new three-storey home,” says Dean Irving, Director of DNA Construction.

“The architecturally designed home had substantial structural requirements as the mid-level floor consisted of multiple cantilevers in all directions. Similarly, as the site is on the high side of the street—with wide-ranging views across the suburb towards Rangitoto Island—the high level of visuals required wide-span, floor-to-ceiling glazing.”

Vertical cedar cladding in two finishes is contrasted by concrete block to the lower level, helping to break up the massing of the structure and define the volumes. While the street is a very established one there is a mix of modern and traditional housing stock so the contemporary nature of the design sits in nicely with the existing streetscape.

Internally, the home is spacious offering multiple living zones and a crisp, pared back material palette. In the open plan living area the ceiling is slightly raked towards the north-facing view, drawing the eye always to the perimeter creating an ongoing relationship between the internal and external spaces.

“The physical transition from indoors to out is seamless and with decks on three sides there is always an option for chasing the sun,” says Dean. “The living area flows into the second, vertical volume, which houses the bedrooms and bathrooms on the mid and upper floors and the garage at ground level.”

Dean says the advantage of a new build is having a blank canvas to work with.

“A new build is definitely a smoother proposition than a renovation, when you start a job yourself there’s a lot more control over the process from go to woah. We offer several services—design to consent stage and build; labour-only to full package. We also work closely with architects to realise their designs.”

Dean started in the building industry at age 18 and has had several roles in that time culminating in the establishment of DNA Construction in 1999.

“We’re a team of 15–20 servicing all of Auckland. We enjoy what we do and are focussed on delivery quality and providing our clients with the best outcomes.

“For me, I get the most satisfaction from seeing happy clients and appreciate it when they return to DNA throughout the years."

Words by: Justin Foote.