GREY LYNN VILLA - WINNER RESENE ADNZ RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AWARD 2020

Sitting parkside in the heart of Grey Lynn, Auckland, this original villa, built in the early 1920s, has retained its classic layout, featuring high ceilings and well-proportioned bedrooms. However, it initially offered very little living space, a tiny kitchen, and a distinct lack of natural light.

Owners Nicci and Ed, who had recently returned after a decade in New York, purchased the property in 2017 with the dream of transforming this traditional villa into a home for their growing family in the desirable Grey Lynn neighbourhood.

Macfie Architecture was brought in to design a new rear extension that would provide a spacious open-plan area for the kitchen, living, and dining spaces, seamlessly flowing into an outdoor entertainment area. Additionally, they added a garden studio for Airbnb rental as a secondary source of income, two en-suites, redesigned the existing bathroom, installed a new roof and insulation throughout, laid new timber floors, and introduced a scullery.

The result features high sloping ceilings with dual skylights, flooding not only the kitchen, living, and dining areas with natural light, but also transforming the formerly dark entrance hallway and bedrooms. Large stacking doors with gable-end glazing invite the outdoors in and open onto a balcony overlooking the garden studio.

Total continuity was achieved from the moment you step onto the new floorboards at the front door and continue through each room of the home, while the unique features that make a villa special were preserved and restored to their original glory.

Project Scope - concept design, developed design, resource consent, building consent, on-site monitoring

Build by Progress Builders

Photography by Tori Hayley