Located on a quiet cul-de-sac of Ponsonby, our client wanted a good size family home to cater for the expanding family. The challenge is to accommodate as many ‘wish list’ items as possible within this modest site of 450m². Being in a heritage area, the proposal needs to assimilate the massing and characters of the neighbouring villas.
The architectural solution is a split gable form that stretches to both ends of the site, creating a protected courtyard in-between. This ruptured form serves two purposes: firstly the elongated shape maximises the northerly aspect and the connection to the landscape; secondly it allows the rather large programme to be divided into different sections, offering the family members a range of spaces for activities to take place collectively or independently.
