This renovation for a professional couple and their young family took place on the banks of the Waikato River in central Hamilton. The existing 1940’s bungalow was run down & in dire need of some lovin & attention.

The generous site was long and sloping with eastern river views.  The site allowed us many opportunities and great freedom to maximize the clients brief.  The brief first & foremost called for additional living area to be enjoyed by the entire family. In addition, it required that all design work be sympathetic to the original style & era of the home whilst injecting modern day luxuries throughout the home.

The finished product, a sophisticated characterful home!

Particular challenges of the site included:

·         High water table required careful consideration during design & construction

·         Potential flooding issues due to the homes close proximity to the Waikato River

·         Sloping site

·         Resource consent issues due to site coverage being exceeded

·         Located within the councils Environmental Protection Overlay (EPO) area which meant there were minimum floor level requirements for the new extension (in the extreme event the river would rise & flood the home)

Specific client requests included:

·         Outdoor entertaining area that capitalized on the beautiful river views & could be enjoyed year round

·         Second family living area

·         Kids retreat

·         Extra storage to accommodate the family’s ‘toys’

·         New master bedroom ensuite and WIR

·         Triple car garaging

·         Introduction of more natural light as the existing interior was very dark & obtrusive

·         New pool area screened from the road and neighbours

·         More privacy from neighbouring properties 

Design Features and creative solutions

The council district plan rules dictated permissible areas for extension of the home.  The option to develop towards the river was not available due to set back requirements, therefore an existing unused western entry courtyard and area between the existing home and Awatere Avenue was used for the extension.  Locating the new, three car garage (with kids retreat and extensive attic storage) as close to the road frontage and boundary as possible, created easy access and maximized space elsewhere on the site for the homes expansion.

The courtyard space was utilized to create a distinctive & private entranceway along with a screened north-west facing pool & outdoor entertaining area.  A large & relaxed family ‘den’ along with a study space was created nestling the pool.  The original eastern deck was maintained & upgraded with Louvretec and an outdoor fireplace to allow year round enjoyment of the extensive river vista.  This acted to extend the family living area by creating a relaxed & comfortable entertaining space.

The interior was reconfigured to create additional spaces to suit the family’s needs. Natural light was maximized with the addition of large window units and skylights.

As the property is set in a built up area of Hamilton - screens, fencing and striking landscaping was used creatively to ensure privacy from all neighbouring properties. 

New insulation, timber joinery, corrugated iron roofing and white timber weather boards where applied to the exterior of the home to create a sympathetic & seamless extension.