The Garden House in Point Chevalier

Nestled into a newly sub-divided inner-city suburban site, this thoughtful new house has been designed for clients both passionate about gardening.

The process of designing this new home involved navigating tight council restrictions and the challenge of an overland flow path running across the site. The resulting plan cleverly maximises the site’s full potential, bringing a sense of spaciousness, generosity, and a flowing connection with nature; all whilst keeping a close eye on the interior privacy of the more personal spaces.

The house weaves its way around a set of small courtyards designed to capture morning, midday and afternoon sun. The open plan kitchen/living area opens right up to a deck at the rear of the property, its northern aspect ensuring all-day sunshine. An elevated boardwalk connects down one the side of the house. This combined with the vibrant landscaping gives the gardens a lush, tropical feeling. Generous glazing and connections to the surrounding garden enhance the flow between indoors and outdoors.

Upon entering, the occupant is drawn through the space by following the sunlight which spills into the stairwell via the western courtyard’s double-height glazing. Beyond the stairwell the living pavilion opens out to reveal a surprisingly generous, light-filled space with a fabulous kitchen and scullery. Upstairs, a lovely master bedroom suite with a private sitting room steals glimpses out to sea. The house also features three further double bedrooms, a teenage room, and a highly temperature-controlled wine cellar.

Clad in a combination of vertical cedar and board & battens, this new home cuts an elegant figure in what is becoming a very stylish Auckland suburb.

CLIENT COMMENTS

“We have found the team at Architecture Smith and Scully easy to deal with and they have understood our design brief, with the house packed with good design that makes living very comfortable with an element of luxury!

We love that they have designed the windows so that we catch glimpses of the garden as we move around the house and that when we are outside, even though we are surrounded by houses, no one looks in at us and it feels very private.

The house and garden complement each other perfectly!”