Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 32 No 2 New Zealand | Page 103

Past meets present
This reinvented terrace house respects its Heritage Conservation Area
restrictions, while being transformed into a light, modern family home
The constrictions of classic forms can often
bring out the best creatively in artists and poets.
And similar can be said for architects. Having to
work in with heritage building guidelines can
be just the starting point for design innovation.
The owner’s wish list to designer Charles
Alexiou for this four-level terrace house rethink
was quite long. While retaining the protected
front facade, existing roofline and the ceiling
heights, he was to reconstruct the damaged rear
facade and open up the interiors to light and
views . Bedrooms and bathrooms were also to be
reconfigured and expanded and a new kitchen

introduced in the heart of the home. Other work
included reconsidering a section of the staircase
and adding a pool, spa and garden to the rear.
Outside, the front facade was restored and
painted while the rear face was reinvented in a
modern composition with broad window openings, using grey aerated concrete, says Alexiou.
“I designed fins around the wood-framed
windows to bring visual and acoustic privacy.
The small Juliet balconies to one side also had
to be retained and integrated into the design.”
Working with the immovable roofline, the
designer expanded the existing dormer to again

Facing page: The freshly restored,
elegant facade on this house belies
the level of contemporary connection
and function in the rooms behind.
The house has been both restored
and reinvented by Charles Alexiou
Interior Design & Architecture.
Above: Where worlds collide – the
reworked rear facade of the home is
in aerated concrete. The privacy fins
and clean wall planes complement
the detailed filagree of the heritageprotected Juliet balconies alongside.

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