In a cramped, steep site on one of the busiest residential streets in Ponsonby, Auckland, there was magic to be found in the form of a dilapidated 110-year old heritage villa. Over two years, the three-bedroom, one-bathroom villa was transformed into a beautiful and functional, cozy family home.
This industrial-style house, designed with Andrew Kissell, is located in the inner city on the fringes of the central business district in Auckland. The challenge was to create a space that could be used as a home, a sanctuary in the middle of the city on a limited budget.
It is envisaged that the Westmere House will play host to meditation retreats and spiritual workshops. This is also a healthy house specifically designed to minimise toxins and electromagnetic radiation.
Our clients purchased Salisbury House on a large west facing section as a gutted shell with a new concrete slab poured for a garage addition to the street frontage, and a slab at the rear of the villa for additional living spaces.
The requirement was for a large new family concrete home maximising connection to the exterior spaces and views over Auckland harbour. To create connection to the terraces, pool and gardens, the living areas were all placed one level below street entry level.
High open spaces add drama to an otherwise normal suburban setting. The large cantilevered roof protects full height doors from wind, sun and rain, and a clerestory lights the interior.
Built in the 1970s, this cedar-clad home with its multi-gabled roof was typical of an era when split-level design was the height of architectural acuity.
This was the renovation of a 50’s flat roofed, painted weatherboard bungalow. The main addition was a large new terrace facing the panoramic north western views of the Waitakere Ranges and City Centre.
