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Rather than proposing wholesale change, we recognised the enduring qualities of the original home while addressing its functional limitations. The front portion of the bungalow remains largely intact, respecting its street presence and heritage character. Our intervention begins subtly, with the front porch retained as both entrance and informal gathering space — something our clients use frequently to engage with their beachside neighbourhood.
The transformative element is our approach to the rear of the property. We reconceived the relationship between home and garden through a simple yet powerful composition: a reclaimed brick wall element that defines the transition, topped by a main bedroom block clad in Alaskan yellow cedar that creates presence without overwhelming the original structure. A carefully detailed set of steps flows down to the garden level, both internally and externally, mirrored by a matching step-form above. This creates a physical and visual connection that had been entirely missing.
Inside, we reconfigured the original bungalow to house the living, dining and kitchen, along with a media room, scullery and bathroom. The existing rear addition has been reworked with three bedrooms, while the upper floor addition provides a private main bedroom suite for the parents.
Throughout the project, we maintained references to the bungalow's character — batten ceiling details, material choices, and proportional systems — while introducing contemporary elements that enhance functionality and connection to the outdoors. The result is a home that honors its past while embracing a lifestyle centered on beach proximity and indoor-outdoor living.
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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