Repton Street Alteration

The clients approached us with a full interior alteration and extension of the existing villa in Merivale that they had recently purchased. A young professional family that had just moved back to Christchurch from Melbourne, their brief was for a sophisticated extension and re-planning of the villa to suit their lifestyle and family. A fourth bedroom was required with a stand-alone laundry, open plan living, dining and kitchen opening to the rear yard. Retaining character aspects of the existing villa whilst providing a contemporary extension. The extension was designed to contrast the villa, yet remain familiar and embody the feel and atmosphere of the existing space. A simple form was chosen to encase the extended plan with a strong split gable elevation and detailed brick tracery. The split gable results from initial moves to add natural light into the kitchen spaces through clerestory windows above the living room roof line. This facade includes a deep window reveal to the kitchen, a negative bay window, referential to the existing bay windows in the villa. The floor plan was simplified throughout, running all services to the southern elevation allowing bedrooms and living to the northern aspects. Although the master retained its existing position, walk in wardrobe and ensuite was added. Located in on Repton Street in Merivale, the existing villa built in the early 1900’s had been altered over its lifetime. The northern eastern facade had a couple of average alterations in 1980’s and 1990’s. The house was damaged in the Christchurch Earthquakes and an Existing brick wall had been removed and replaced with weatherboard to the north western facade. The purpose of our design was to respect the existing villa, remove and repurpose existing spaces and construction whilst returning the home into a functioning and engaging space for our clients The primary constraints for the project were the site orientation. With the suns orientation it was important to consider how to ensure the living and kitchen spaces had adequate natural light and quality of interior space. Capturing the sun was an important factor in shaping the architectural form, cutting and peeling of the roof to allow light to flood the kitchen forms the base where all subsequent design moves pivoted from. Construction constraints relating to site access were also a factor in the methodology for the project. Although access was not too restricted it did inform the brick cladding selection. The extension continues the basic construction method of the existing villa. Light weight timber framing on a concrete ring foundation with timber floor was matched into the existing structure and clad in 70 series brick on cavity. Brick was chosen as a low maintenance alternative to continuing the timber weatherboard, it also offers endless opportunities to bring texture and character into a design. We wanted a level of craftsmanship with the brickwork to tie with timber work of the villa, a different level of material craftsmanship for a different epoch.