Auckland is an unusual city in that there are still tiny timber buildings within spitting distance of the central business district. The character and quality of these buildings is important in understanding the growth and settlement of the city, as well as its continually changing social and economic history. But how do you acknowledge that heritage and also create a contemporary living environment which reflect today?
Twin Peaks House is an alteration which takes inspiration from an existing structure in creating a contemporary space for a young family. The ceilings of the diminutive villa had been lowered and an unsympathetic addition had caused damage to the original structure. The brief presented by the owners was to expand the living spaces while removing the failing addition, but to more fundamentally find a way of making sense of the additional space in a way which respected the original form of the house.
Our response was to search for the fundamental strengths of the original house and to use these as starting points for the design. While the floor plate of the house was small, the roof was set at a lofty height and each small room was bathed in light by large windows. These two features where adapted and used in a new space at the rear of the house.
The roof line of the original house was extended over the new addition and with the ceiling was brought up to meet the underside of the structure. This produced an extremely tall space which was given a familiar rhythm by the twin gable forms. At its highest the roof climbs to five metres and makes the small addition feel generous in its proportions. The form of the roof is also expressed in the soffit of the western porch created off the living room. Tall steel bi-fold doors open the end of the building into a small garden and borrow their proportions from the windows of the original windows. Inside the space is planned to produce a dynamic diagonal view between the different communal areas of the house. The kitchen design and flooring selection also emphasize the gabled form of the house.
In each design decision the question of how the new and the old could remain in dialogue was considered. The house now reflects a different time in Auckland’s history while also accommodating a contemporary way of living.
