The clients had long admired the Queenslander with its first storey living, louvre ventilation and wide verandahs. The style suits New Zealand’s climate nearly as well as tropical northern Australia so when they came to build this was their brief albeit with the constraints of a suburban section in one of Auckland’s eastern beach suburbs.

The resulting house used some of those core aspects of the Queenslander while adding others like a double garage, passive solar heating and an outdoor room behind the verandah with bifolding shutters to keep out the worst of Aucklands winter.

Without the extreme humidity of Queensland the lower level need not be open to the breeze so was utilized as garage and a bedroom with concrete floors to absorb the winter sun. The warm air is directed to the first floor living through the central stair well.

House design of all types, new, additions and alterations is where it began for lots of architects and we love it as well. New Zealand has a tradition of finely detailed architecturally designed homes and we hope you agree that we have added to that heritage. We love designing new houses and in particular the freedom that comes with a beach house but there is also real pleasure in transforming some of our beautiful villas and bungalows into houses for 21st century living.