“Travis and his team are very detail focused and don’t like leaving things to chance. The detailed plans and drawings they produced were just that – they really had an enormous amount of rich information in them from materials and product choice, to light and switch placement to art work position etc.

Now we are back living in the house we are even more impressed – the aspect from the kitchen with the large skylight casting light and interest above is superb, the indoor-outdoor flow and visibility of the kids racing around the deck and the enjoyment they get from the house is awesome. It is light, warm and modern while still respecting the character of the original part of the house. We really see the value the architect added and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.”

This project was an addition to a simple perfectly square single story state house in Karori that initially did not make any sense in terms of how it was sited within the original boundaries but in the end provided the conceptual framework to become amazingly well orientated, offering 3 sides of the house to full sun during the day.

The brief was to reimagine the state house, some of which was in original condition and very small, and to extend and provide for a more generous amount of space that included and a new modern kitchen, new laundry, new family bathroom, new master bedroom ensuite, second living area and guest space plus generous deck. The house needed to be flexible to accommodate a growing family that could enjoy this house and function well in the many stages of family life where older parents could visit and stay comfortably. We were also directed be sensitive to the character of the original state home.

We decided to extend the small 10m x 10m house in both directions on the northern and eastern sides to provide the space we needed to satisfy the brief. Everything fell into place and the space planning worked very well allowing for a living space that could be closed off for privacy and become a fourth guest bedroom if needed, with a private hallway accessing the family bathroom. This provided great flexibility for the home.

In an end note to this summary, the functional aspects were well regarded by the client and works well for their family. The design took place prior to Covid and the build was completed during the pandemic. You will see in our concept design image, we designed a twin seated study area in the new second living space, mainly for future proofing the house for later teenage study and a general work space. This was not a big part of the brief but we made sure care and attention was paid to ensure it was designed well. The client admitted that they did not think too much of this space at the time of design and was not a space thought to be used much but understood the concept. However, after visiting our clients many months after the project was complete, they were incredibly grateful that this facility was built-in and provided. They admitted they could easily work from home and the space was well used. The world had now changed and having a separate space to work was highly valued. The flexibility we provide in our designs often comes from cumulative experience of design briefing from other families, and is not sometimes understood until the project is complete and being used. We are grateful these clients trusted us to provide sensible amenity which ultimately, they have enjoyed, and that makes us happy that we have done our job well and to exceed expectations.

Collaborators:

Structural engineer: Morrison Design Ltd - David Morrison

Building contractor: Mike Wiggins - M A Wiggins Builders