Swansea Street
Despite a small number of interior renovations over 60 years, this beautiful example of a 60s modernist courtyard house remains a refined and timeless home. The goal was to design an addition that looked like it had always been there. Developing the concept came easily as only one response felt right: a black box, sitting lightly on top, bridging the gap between the existing garage and low-slung house.
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Built: 2022
Engineer: Spencer Holmes
Builder: Pinnacle Construction
Images: Bonnie BeattieThe home is built on a rear section, just visible down a long driveway lined by established natives. With houses on every side and a few overlooking the house to the north, the design response needed to be private. One that reached up and made the most of the beautiful view of the Skyline Walkway to the west and rested lightly on the existing house. An extremely rare and sheltered spot for Wellington, it was important that the addition had little impact on any valuable sunshine and the relationship to the outdoor spaces was prioritised.
The clients and their young family live in a beautiful example of 60’s modernism, the low black-clad courtyard house is nestled in a sheltered dip that catches all day sun. The original Architect, David Launder, created a design that despite a number of small interior renovations over the last 60 years, remains a refined and timeless home. So much so, that when the clients approached us with the brief of adding a peaceful/private main bedroom + en suite, and a separate home office, we didn’t want to add anything.
Despite the initial reaction, developing the concept came easily as only one response felt right; a black box, sitting lightly on top - bridging between the garage and house to create an indoor hallway beneath, with an office opening onto a sunny previously unused decking area. The main bedroom sits above, with a large window giving an expansive view over the land to the ‘Crow’s Nest’ and bush-clad hills. Downstairs, the laundry and bathroom were reconfigured and renovated to give access through the house, and the rather public previous main bedroom became a kid’s play area or spare room for guests.
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Adaption and re-use are important concepts in the debate for a sustainable future, especially in a city like Wellington which has natural city boundaries and few free sections to develop with new housing. In this instance, continual small upgrades to make a successful house more versatile and liveable for its occupants means that a great example of New Zealand modernist architecture stays in the housing stock.
