WATERVIEW HOUSE | STATE HOUSE RENOVATION & CONTEMPORARY EXTENSION

The former state house holds a special place in New Zealand's architectural story: modest, well-built homes that shaped whole suburbs and housed generations. This project in Waterview takes one of them confidently into its next chapter.

Our clients purchased the home as their first step on the property ladder, with a clear and considered brief: honour the character of the original dwelling, create open-plan living, and add the extra bedroom their growing family needed, delivered efficiently and without unnecessary expense.

The original weatherboard home was retained and respected at the front, its familiar form holding its presence on the street exactly as it always has.

Stepping down from the original layout, a new living, dining, and kitchen wing extends to the rear: a contrasting black addition that makes no attempt to mimic what came before it, and is all the stronger for that honesty. The juxtaposition is deliberate and confident, old and new in open conversation rather than uneasy negotiation.

Skylights draw natural light deep into the new spaces throughout the day, while expansive floor-to-ceiling sliders dissolve the boundary between the living areas and the deck and flat rear lawn beyond, ready for the chaos and joy of family life.

Good architecture doesn't have to be complicated. Completed on a tight budget within a short timeframe, this project is proof that sometimes the best brief is a simple one, delivered well.

Since completion, the home has sold, and we're delighted to be working with the same clients on their next step up the property ladder: a bungalow in Point Chevalier, soon to begin its renovation in stages.

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