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The home occupies a site nestled between bush-clad hills and the exposed coastline. The brief for the renovation of this 1930’s weatherboard house was to reduce the four bedrooms down to one, and to provide an indoor pool and garden cottage for family and guests.

Planning rules required the separation of the garden cottage, indoor pool and house, and this became an opportunity to play on the relationship between the three buildings. The plan is re-organised with a new timber joinery box inserted through the central third of the house, creating three interlocking forms. Each building’s individuality is retained, while a tailored palette of materials, screens and planting used in the interstitial spaces, braids together the whole. 

Design of the interior spaces takes into consideration their relation to the different spaces outside. Views from the upstairs library extend over the hills to the east. The house overlooks a mature canopy of pohutukawa – the summer blossom engages in playful dialogue with a crimson glass insert in the upstairs window joinery. The lower deck is encircled by timber panelling, which provides shelter from onshore winds whilst framing the expansive harbour view. 

Casual living spaces incorporate the harbour view to the west, with generous shelving and upholstered window seats creating a tranquil abode to relax, contemplate, and reflect out over the view of the ocean towards the city lights beyond.

Photography: Patrick Reynolds.

Studio Pacific Architecture
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Dickinson House
Dickinson House
Dickinson House
Dickinson House
Dickinson House
Dickinson House

About the
Professional

Studio Pacific was established in Wellington in 1992 by the three directors: Nicholas Barratt-Boyes, Stephen McDougall and Evzen Novak.

Prior to establishing the studio, all three directors studied and/or worked together in New Zealand before working for a period in Europe: Evzen studied in Berlin and worked in Switzerland and London, while Nick and Stephen were based in London and worked on projects throughout the U.K. and Europe.

The collective international experience gained by the directors in Europe set the platform and influenced the direction of the practice. From early design competitions and small residential commissions, Studio Pacific has evolved into an award-winning substantial and creative practice with diverse projects throughout New Zealand. Particular recognition has been given to the studio for working with the arts, urban regeneration, housing, masterplanning and contemporary workspace planning.

Studio Pacific undertakes a large range of projects, from small individual furniture items to large projects involving entire new towns. Our small-scale work includes new houses, additions and alterations, and retail work. Our larger schemes include large multi-unit residential and commercial buildings as well as masterplans and landscaping.

We enjoy having a mix of project sizes and types in the studio – each project has different challenges, and offers varied opportunities for us to express our creativity in response.