Pettigrew House
By Imagine Architecture
This project started life as Pettigrew House, a two storey residential home in Opunake that was first constructed in 1879. Pettigrew House was built in 1879-80 by John Pettigrew. The rock and gravel material for the walls was obtained from a local metal pit (lahar), and mixed with lime imported from Scotland. The mix was poured between rough wooden boxing, with sizeable rocks place within the walls. No cement or reinforcing was used. The ground floor had timber framed sash windows and a timber floor. The second storey was built over the base of the previous house on the site in 1984 and used a reinforced slab supported around the perimeter by mock-classical columns. Although the modern additions had been made to the house the original house remains relatively unchanged except for an archway through one room to give access to a larger area. The two completely different construction eras and looks were both very tired, cold and in need of an upgrade. A very difficult renovation which apart from the normal issues when renovating like the building not being square or plumb so cost effective solutions were need for such work as replace the timber floor and deal with concrete walls that have very little strength.
The client’s brief was for a complete property transformation to bring Pettigrew House back to her former glory whilst righting the wrongs of the 1980’s addition and bringing the level of finish into the 21st century. A new boat shed emulating the form of the main dwelling completes the fulfilment of the client’s brief.
The design strategy was to preserve the original dwelling whilst eliminating the aesthetic of the 1984 addition. The new design involved a full reroof and reclad, removal of the bay windows, new thermally broken double glazed windows, full insulation and a complete interior makeover including improved space planning and reallocation and distribution of spaces. A new upper level deck forms a vantage point to take in the rural and mountain views. Solar control to the west facing upper office is dealt with through motorised external louvres.
The lower level interior reinvigorates the heritage of the 1879 dwelling with period detailing revitalised and with special attention given to the preservation of the exterior walls highlighting the strong textural language of the original construction techniques. The spaces provide a self-contained retreat for visiting friends and family along with the owner’s office and library complete with wheeled ladder and custom shelving. The 1984 structural columns have been pushed down they visual hierarchy by framing out the capitals and concealing the corner ones within a new structure. Window fenestration emulates the original double hung windows. The rotten timber floor was replaced with new concrete floor housing hydronic heating.
The upper level contains the main living spaces and master suite. Full redecoration includes custom joinery and finishes throughout. The kitchen design was carefully worked through to ensure efficient use of space given the constraints of the existing structure. New windows frame the mountain and rural vistas and make the most of the elevated floor plate.
Colours & Materials:
- Wall Cladding: Cedar Bevelback Weatherboard, Mineral Plaster painted Resene 1/4 White Pointer
- Roofing: Colorsteel MAXX Corrugate
- Decking: Purple Heart
- Louvres: Louvretec Motorised
- Aluminium Joinery: Vantage Aluminium Thermal Heart – Silver Pearl
Professionals used in
Pettigrew House
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Imagine Architecture
About the
Professional
Imagine Architecture (formally Imagine Building Design) is a multi-award winning architectural design practice that has been in business since 2002 with specialist expertise in Residential and Commercial design. Our practice has evolved through many iterations over the years. From starting in a shoebox home office, to growing into occupying historic premises at the Kings Building in New Plymouth, then to a sleek downtown high street practice. We have now gone back to our roots with small studio setups for Tony Biesiek out of Think Co in Tauranga and Steven Dixon in New Plymouth.
“Changing lives through great architecture & design”. That is the mission of Imagine Architecture. Since 2002, we have sought to infuse that mission into every project. Our designs are for high performance buildings that change lives. To achieve this, we combine aesthetics & energy efficiency with comfort & architectural appeal, function & use of space with quality interaction with the environment.
This approach is applied across all our projects irrespective of size or budget. We believe there is opportunity in every project to make better choices. This is accomplished thanks to better decision making to improve the quality of the space experienced by its occupants. Merely meeting minimum building code requirements is not enough. Exceeding minimums is the key to better buildings, be they new architectural homes or commercial structures. Optimum performance ahead of minimum compliance every time. Architecture with attitude!
Imagine Architecture aspires to uphold the Pritzker Architecture Prizewinner Glenn Murcutt’s ideal: ‘to touch the earth lightly’. This means we look at how nature has crafted the environment to this point in time, and form our design in relationship to that. For example, we have sculpted designs to the land, rather than the land to the design. Nature has brought us those spaces, so we strive to design structures to be harmonious with that nature. As custodians we seek to protect the environment through diligent stewardship and utilisation of the best high performance technology.
Our experience in over 1000 commissions to date is wide and diverse. In addition to servicing Bay of Plenty and Taranaki, we have commissions throughout New Zealand and have projects in Australia and Italy. In this modern age, geography is no barrier to delivering architectural excellence. The Imagine Architecture team's track record shows an ability to adapt quickly to client changes, government legislation and technical site situations. We have specialist experience in:
Residential homes and renovations
- Sustainable and Energy Efficient architecture
- Recreation & Parks facilities
- Apartments & Townhouses
- Mobility design and disabled access
- Retirement homes
- Gymnasia
- Schools & ECE
- Property development & investment units
- Industrial facilities
- Restaurant and retail design
- Shipping Container buildings
- Feasibility Studies
- Motels and Motor Lodges
Imagine Architecture promotes itself on the principle of “relationship marketing”. A large number of commissions come to Imagine Architecture by way of referrals from existing clients. This method of marketing reflects our philosophy of creating quality relationships with clients. This is achieved by friendly, clear and up front communication matched with a quality design service that meets the aesthetic, functional & financial requirements of the client.
Imagine Architecture is the experienced team to use if you are looking for innovative design that respects the environment, quality technical documentation, superior service through excellent communication.
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