House renovation in Wellington. A dark, narrow Thorndon cottage was in serious need of a renovation. A sun-catcher extension injected light into the living space, a dining area provided some much needed breathing room, and a back-garden courtyard extended dining and living into the garden.
Kitchen Design Wellington Lovell O’Connell Architects, Wellington
The heritage-listed two-storey villa, dating back to the 1870s, was in need of careful repair, maintenance and a thermal upgrade. Alongside this work, the clients were eager to open up the house to the sun and garden with a living / kitchen / dining extension.
LO’CA were recommended to us by a local architect and we shared their fondness for mid-century architecture. They provided us with two exciting options, which highlighted the need for an architect even for a small square box..
-FIONA BARR, HOME MAGAZINE ARTICLE , Read more
This carefully crafted small extension to an 1870’s heritage villa transforms the existing house well beyond its small footprint. Far from the traditional lean-to-add-on, the extension takes advantage of every opportunity to admit light, facilitate cooking as a sociable pastime, and provide comfort and a connection to the rear garden. Skylights and slot windows are skillfully inserted to allow the play of light on an artfully textured extension wall
-2020 NZIA WELLINGTON AWARD CITATION
It’s such an unexpected surprise to walk into the compressed villa entry, then turn into the kitchen where sky and garden views draw you through. The contrast between the narrow exterior street frontage and the interior really does feel like a Tardis.
-Home Magazine Article, Read more
Original house
The design response was to restore and upgrade the existing 4.5m wide villa in keeping with its original character, alongside adding a modern single-story sun-catcher addition to the back that respected and reinterpreted the traditional materials, forms and scale of the villa.The generous stud is extended and timber craftsmanship celebrated. Skylights and over sized sliding doors improve natural daylight within the house, and the extension contributes to the space for the new kitchen as well as an additional dining area. The outside courtyard provides sunny outdoor seating and borrowed volume that enables the interior spaces to feel larger.
This 1870s Thorndon villa extension, shortlisted for an NZIA award, presents an innovative solution to an age-old problem – how to capture sunlight on the south side of a house.
-STUFF HOMED ARTICLE , Read more
