This contemporary residence responds with clarity and restraint to its waterfront site adjacent to Te Aranui o Pōneke and overlooking Wellington Harbour. Commissioned as a home to enjoy retirement years, the project presented a rare opportunity to start afresh by removing an existing house that was not viable for renovation. The design incorporates site responsiveness, sustainability, and long-term accessibility.
The design is organized around strong linear geometries and a disciplined material palette, reflecting the clients’ brief for simplicity, durability, and anchored into the natural environment.
A natural separation from the neighbor is achieved by deliberately offsetting the first floor away from the northern boundary, creating spaces for a sheltered balcony and ground floor entry. Living areas are purposefully located on the first floor to capture expansive harbour views and optimize solar aspects, while a lift ensures future-proof circulation. A quiet media room, accessed from the open-plan living zone, provides an acoustic and spatial contrast for study, reflection, and listening to an extensive music collection.
At ground level, the layout reflects a pragmatic spatial planning approach. The clients were determined that a single garage would be adequate as they sought to live more sustainably with one (electric) powered car and using a reliable public transport service (buses and harbour ferry). The first-storey cantilever provides essential protection at the entry from Wellington's variable weather conditions.
Material selection was both aesthetic and performative: The thermally modified Abodo Vulcan vertical weatherboards, installed over a RAB and 45mm structural cavity battens, contrast with RCS Cerano plaster on AAC panels to create a contrasting textural appearance, enhanced by the recessed facades. The existing front boundary fence was retained, providing continuity and privacy. With the roof hidden behind parapets, function was paramount, and a TPO warm roof system was chosen for both durability and a high insulation value of R7.2 .
The building is very thermally efficient. The project exceeds NZBC/H1 energy efficiency requirements by 61%. Our practice specifically developed and designed the window details, incorporating thermally broken aluminum joinery (with low-E glass and argon-filled double glazing) that is recessed back to the framing line to increase thermal efficiency and weather-tightness while also complementing the design aesthetic.
Environmental systems include a 6.4 kW photovoltaic solar array, rainwater detention for stormwater mitigation, a heat pump hot water system, and a highly efficient ducted heat pump system, complemented by an electric flame fire for ambiance and supplementary warmth.
The home represents a measured architectural response that balances visual restraint with performance, delivering a durable, contextually integrated, and profoundly liveable home for its inhabitants.
