Villa Revival
ALLENBY AVENUE
Allenby Ave, Devonport – completed 2014
A 60m extension was commissioned for this elegant 1909 triple bay villa, with a heavy emphasis on attaining a result that tied in with the original building so that it looked like it belonged to the period and not added later.
Project scope
The renovation involved demolishing the back half of the house and rebuilding, pushing out at the back to create a new bathroom, open living area and kitchen. Externally, the old part of the house at the back was integrated with the new part with an "L" shaped deck. The project also involved major excavation work under the house to create a lower level, comprising a rumpus room, new bathroom/laundry, under stair storage and a work shop.
Key design features
Specially sourced timber flooring from the South Island was used for the extension to ensure the two parts of the home – the existing and the new – flowed together seamlessly. The timber window frames and scotia were custom made to match the original materials, honouring the heritage and detail of the older building’s features.
Main challenges
The existing steel pressed ceiling proved a challenge, as the extension had to be build up around it without damaging this delicate feature. The ceiling was propped carefully for the duration of the build to ensure no damage was done.
“At the first meeting with Kieran after we appointed him with the project, we emphasised the importance that we placed on retaining the character of our Villa. Kieran’s approach was sympathetic to this. Accordingly, the addition to our house is seamless and a number of our friends have commented on this. Throughout the project we found Kieran to be extremely conscientious in his approach. He was extremely quick to identify the technical challenges that this project would involve.
…Kieran provided valuable input on a number of occasions regarding the right mix of materials to achieve the best result aesthetically. Kieran was also proactive in helping to ease our anxiety at certain stressful times during the build. (He) worked closely with the team of builders he subcontracted to and ensured that the detail and standard of the workmanship was to a high standard.”