Description:

Ponsonby is a beautiful neighbourhood with a strong sense of community, we wanted to sew this villa additions and alterations project into this context while creating privacy and a feeling of light and space.

Our solution was to save and enhance the character of the original villa, removing all eclectic additions added onto this form over the years. From this point we designed a split level addition separated from the villa by modest courtyards, one service and one used as outdoor living.

Using the courtyards to split the home the original villa can breathe, drawing parallels and juxtapositions between old and new, reinvigorating a dated plan. A third living space is created during the summer, bringing light into the heart of the home and blurring the lines between exterior and interior. This idea is developed further with the playful introduction of a Japanese maple to the western edge providing a tangible natural element that casts beautiful dappled shadows throughout.

The upper level of the addition is a gable form of glazing and weatherboards, housing the master suite, floating in the tree tops, enhanced with a view of the lush green valley beyond. Angled wing walls provide privacy to the master bed while gaining light and passive ventilation.

The lower level is a recessive pedestal, a grounded form sitting flush with the landscape.

Brick walls flow from the kitchen into the garden creating a private seated area within the landscaped garden.

The majority of the furniture, shelving, and storage is in-built, designed specifically for each area, making the most of the modest spaces within the home. The use of Ash and Cedar create a warm comfortable feel, connecting all interior spaces in both new and old.