WATERVIEW HOUSE Heritage State Home Renovation & Contemporary Extension, Waterview

Waterview has quietly become one of Auckland's most compelling inner-city propositions — close enough to the CBD to be genuinely convenient, and close enough to the coast to feel like an escape. This project on one of the suburb's most desirable streets tells a story that feels distinctly New Zealand.

A young couple, first-time parents-to-be, purchased a former state home with a clear and considered brief — honour the iconic character of the original dwelling, create open-plan living, and add the extra bedroom their growing family was going to need. Delivered quickly, 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 entertainer's deck and flat rear lawn beyond — fully fenced with electric gates, and ready for the chaos and joy of family life.

Good architecture doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes the best brief is a simple one, delivered well.

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

Images by @Nine4

With thanks to Reuben Payn at Whitefox Real Estate