A healthy heritage home with a modern twist
As part of the renovation, the villa will undergo a complete refit including the most advanced ventilation, heating and cooling systems from HRV.
The renovation of this 110-year-old villa in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby is part of the HRV Pure Invironment Project.
The existing kitchen is being removed and the entire living space reconfigured to provide an open-plan space.
The kitchen has been stripped out, interior walls removed and the new ceiling insulation installed.
With the removal of the interior walls the new layout for the open-plan living area becomes apparent. This view is looking into what was the former main bedroom, which will become the dining room.
Real estate agent Antonia Baker from The Property Market is involved in the HRV Pure Invrionment Project and in the second of an on-going series she looks at the old-meets-new design aesthetic of the renovation.
It wasn’t exactly dark and dingy before, but now there is a big beautiful open space at the back end of the villa at 45 Lincoln Street in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby.
Almost three weeks into the seven week renovation, the bright blue kitchen is a distant memory and with the removal of a structural wall, the open-plan living, kitchen and dining area is spacious and light.
Yet the style and essence of the old house remains. Because the beauty of this renovation lies in the insistence of owner Krista Strong and designer Zayne Francis to maintain the integrity and shape of the original villa rather than simply knocking the back off and extending it.
And while the HRV Pure Invironment Project is about demonstrating how to create a healthy and liveable home with the addition of HRV’s most advanced ventilation, heating and cooling products, as well as its innovative whole-home water filtration system, staying true to the heritage of the house and adding a modern twist is also key.
With Krista having more traditional influences and Zayne bringing a contemporary edge, it’s a dynamic that works well. For example, once work is completed, the house’s 110 year old traditional kauri floors – with treated bora holes and all – will blend seamlessly with the modern stylings of the pre-cast concrete kitchen, which is being specially designed to fit into the new open-plan configuration.
The pair’s belief is there is a place in the market for a villa renovation that merges the original look and feel of these character homes with sophisticated modern elements. Which means the rear of the house will retain the existing roof line, the pitch of the old master bedroom roof (where the new dining area is) will be the same and two traditional French doors will open out on to the deck area.
To maximize the opening up of the back of the house and to make the most of the all-day sun that soaks the back of the property, a supporting wall was replaced with a steel structure designed by structural engineer Stephen Reid of Chris W. Howell & Associates Ltd. Another steel structure has also been used to reinforce the framing adjacent to the French doors on the back wall.
Also key to this stage of the project – though a little more behind the scenes – is the insulation of ceilings, exterior walls and under floors and sound proofing of some interior walls by insulation specialists Greenstuf®. The company uses 100% recyclable and environmentally friendly insulation which significantly increases the energy efficiency of the house by increasing the resistance to heat flow rating.
To help reduce noise in the quiet areas of the house, Greenstuf’s sound solution – a unique acoustic insulation product for timber framed houses – will go into the internal walls of the bedrooms.
And once the upstairs insulation and flooring have been completed the remaining walls will be lined and plastering completed in readiness for the kitchen installation.
Once the project has been completed the property will be sold by The Property Market at an on-site auction on May 18.
To follow the progress of the renovation, go to hrvhouse.co.nz, which redirects to a special Trade Me page and dedicated You Tube channel and check back on ArchitectureNow for ongoing updates.
