Renovations Additions and Repurposing
These types of project can be the most challenging and yet the most rewarding for us.
They start with an existing building that requires an upgrade.
We can work through what your options may be to maximize the potential of your property and any building on the site.
Perhaps sub-dividing could be the best option for you? We can very quickly come up with some design options that may make financial sense for you.
We have assisted a lot of clients who have properties damaged by earthquakes or that have been deemed earthquake prone by the local authorities.
We work with structural engineers to determine appropriate options for you. I strongly believe it is beneficial to have an architect at the table to expand on the options you may have.
Heritage buildings and character neighbourhoods are an important part of our culture and the overall city fabric where we live.
We have worked on many types of heritage building assisting clients through the process of transforming their properties to be more agile and resilient to New Zealand's tectonic forces.
As current building custodians our clients can take pride in contributing to the enrichment of future generation lives within those buildings and their neighbourhoods.
Sometimes it is the adaptive reuse or repurposing of an existing building that opens up the potential for its new life, without wasting the embodied carbon of the original construction.
As mentioned below with one of our current projects, this can be the most sustainable approach to building. You reduce the amount of building waste going to landfills.
This section looks at a couple of our projects in Wellington.
Khandallah House Renovation
This project is a small renovation
of a house over-looking Wellington harbour.
The key to this project is
light. The images may dwell on the fun at night but the potential for opening
up to the sun was so important here.
The
original orientation (as seen in the before photo) turned its back on the street therefore
eliminating potential for heat and light from the afternoon sun. The new design
reconfigures the roof line to give the house presence and allow the sun
into the heart of the house.
Some of that free energy is stored in the polished
concrete floor to be released at night. To be more self-sufficient was
important to the owner and rain water harvesting was also thoroughly
researched.
The design responds to the
relatively busy suburban street with privacy, views and sound insulation having
to be considered. A series of vertical slot windows provide views in and
out to pedestrians and traffic.
A horizontal translucent light box
provides light to both inside and out. Space has been provided that
can be used anytime of the year that relates to outside and internal
rooms.
Seatoun Water Tanks - Repurpose
Sometimes the most sustainable approach to building is to repurpose an existing structure.
The Seatoun Water tanks had served the public for many decades before being decommissioned a few years ago. Only the occasional Council maintenance staffer has witnessed one of the most spectacular panoramic views in Wellington - encompassing the harbour entrance, the airport and surrounding hills as well as the Kaikoura mountain range in Te Waipounamu the South Island
- on a good day!
We have been commissioned to transform this structure into something inhabitable
- perhaps a brutalist concrete bolthole may work?!
Our first steps are to study the physical characteristics of the Tanks which have stood proud on this exposed ridge since the 1930's. These studies will inform our overall approach to the design.
We have created a 3D LiDAR scan (point cloud) of the site and structure.
It is very much like the recent scans taken of the Titanic wreck.
The scan allows us to navigate around the building from the comfort of our computer. Physical core samples will be taken of the reinforced concrete on site for scientific analysis.
The process of discovery is fascinating. Below we have added a few images taken from the scan.
guyevansarchitects.com
