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Retaining the charm of the building along with some quality materials was integral to this extensive two-stage alteration. The aim was to make the spaces bigger, to tidy up the material palette and, externally, to re-present the overall mass and street appeal of the property.
In Stage One, the interiors were re-defined, and a pavilion that flows out from the central core beneath a new fold of the roof was added. This houses a kitchen, living area and, behind a three-quarter height room divider, a cosy dining nook – a nod to that 70s style. Sarked ceilings and tongue-and-groove walls emulate the linearity and warmth of those in the original home, while built-in furniture such as cabinetry, shelving units and a breakfast pantry that juts through the external wall, are designed as separate elements in the space.
Disguising the gables was an important part of the Stage Two process, a delicate balancing act between modernising the look, yet melding in with the colonial villas of the neighbourhood. A new two-storey box intersects with the main form of the home; it contains a bedroom and en suite, with a garage below. This cube is defined architecturally by fine cedar battening, an element that is repeated to hide the main gable over the upper storey of the dwelling. A playful material fluidity is seen in the garden fence which wraps its way behind the garage of the box to reappear as cladding on the ground level of the original home.
Photographer
Emma-Jane Hetherington
We're an architecture and design studio creating warm spaces for human connection. We believe architecture thrives on play and exploration, where clever solutions and clear dialogue create a dynamic interplay between all the elements of a project, bringing them all into balance.
Our directors, Tim Dorrington and Sam Atcheson, have spent over twenty years developing a design philosophy that's playful, balanced and inclusive. Clever solutions to interesting challenges are one of the hallmarks of our work, as is an eternally-youthful enthusiasm for creating truly transformative design. We like to think of it as delivering just enough surprise to truly delight our clients.
We're proud of the impact our team has made on the built environment of Aotearoa, with multiple NZIA Awards to our name and a roster of happy clients. We specialise in residential projects, but have also had success with retail and commercial environments.
Our approach is highly collaborative. While we often draw on the rich lineage of mid-century modernism, we're not design dictators. Every project is a response to site, budget and our clients dreams and objectives. It's an honest and open process, which reflects in the materiality of our buildings and the experience of the spaces we create.
Our design philosophy:
playful, human, balanced, clever, inclusive, transformative.
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