Te Aro House Renovation
Cold, damp, dark, cramped villas seem to be a Wellington speciality, and this site nestled in a quiet part of Aro Valley was no exception. Our clients were keen to remedy the situation.
Villa Renovation, Lovell O’Connell Architects Wellington
Tricia and Helen’s brief called for “opening up” their home to the views, garden and sun via a living/dining/kitchen extension. Alongside this, the brief asked for the villa to be returned to its original parred-back elegance, whilst providing a thermal and structural upgrade.
The renovation has transformed our living experience in our home and has delivered all the benefits we hoped for.
— clients Helen and Tricia, read more
Key to our design was replacing the dingy rear lean-to with a sun-catcher extension connected to the garden and hills beyond. The resulting extension acknowledges some of the defining characteristics of the villa with a contemporary twist. The generous stud and timber floors have been carried through. Contemporary timber sliding doors and windows have been chosen to match the existing material and are in scale with the original double-hung sash windows. They provide a light and open transition to the garden beyond.
Pared-back elegance is an apt description for this early 1900s house, which is now more than ready to take on the twenty-first century.
-NZIA Awards jury , Read more
Allowing for airy and light-filled living and dining areas, the layout offers a variety of experiences: from moments of cosy solitude in the new fireplace nook to sun time with Poppy the Dalmatian on the spacious window seat.
