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WELLINGTON

PLIMMERton alteration, porirua

2013

Project Team

 

Architecture:            Hamish Wakefield

Engineer:                  Roy Taylor

Contractor:               Northern Construction

Project Description

 

Plimmerton is fast becoming one of the elite suburbs in the Wellington region. Flanked by two easy access sandy beaches, a renowned fish and chip shop and a growing cafe community once you're in it's very hard to leave. 

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Which is exactly the position our clients for this renovation found themselves in. ​With children expected (soon), their 100yr old house needed to grow, but also they needed their home to be warmer, drier and quieter to live in as their street got busier. 

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As with most homes of the era the original house was oriented to the street rather than for comfort or privacy. The design solution was to flip the house around and move the living area to the east, creating an open plan kitchen, dining and living space large enough for entertaining and relaxing with or without the kids. More importantly it was a sunny part of the site and the quietest from road noise. 

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The proposal added an extra bedroom, ensuite and walk-in wardrobe and replaced the existing plaster cladding with new bevelback weatherboards on a cavity system. 

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Dealing with a 100yr old house isn't easy, matching details in line with todays requirements can be challenging and recycling materials is an art in itself. There are usually complications along the way and unfortunately this project was no exception. The house has largely been re-built with some of the roof, interior framing and flooring being the only remnants of the existing we managed to keep. 

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However as a finished project the house is now very private, functional for kids and entertaining alike. The house and its new character are fitting in well as an upmarket home in Plimmerton. 

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