Island Shelter. Photo / Ben Gilpin
Two designers from Kāpiti have won big at the Regional ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards for the Wellington region.
Ben Gilpin, of Gil-plans Architecture, won four awards, and Robyn De La Haye, of Essence Architectural Design, won two awards.
Gilpin’s Island Shelter, located on Kāpiti Island, won the regional award for architectural spaces and structures.
The project was the upgrade of an existing shelter structure to provide better protection from the elements, a better briefing arrangement and a new interpretation station for education on Kāpiti Island’s flora and fauna. A new matching toilet block was also constructed.
ADNZ Judges’ said the Kāpiti Island shelter upgrade effectively turned an open structure into a hard-working versatile visitor space.
“The seamless integration of roofing, screening, wall, seating, and decking elements keeps to a tight material palette. It is in absolute keeping with the original partial structure and the commanding site.”
De La Haye’s Waimea Coastal Studio won the regional award for residential alterations and additions.
The brief was for a simple and relaxed space as an addition to a family bach. With its light, airy, peaceful vibe, this coastal getaway makes for the perfect escape from the pressures of life in the city.
Judges’ comments: “The nonchalant and unassuming exterior of this evocative Kiwi bach belies the sophistication of the interior scheme within.
“The studio contains beautifully executed joinery with seamless plywood lining and integrated storage solutions that are fitting for the beach location.”
Meanwhile, Gilpin’s Big Sky, at Peka Peka, won regional highly commended for new home between 150m² and 300m²
Description: The weekend retreat house is arranged in two wings with living/master to the north and bedrooms/garage to the south. Located between the wings are two courtyards. Externally the home floats and cantilevered forms hover over the dune like a gull on a windy day. A simple and refined palette of natural hues and materials were selected to sympathetically integrate the home within the setting.
Judges’ comments: “Two parallel wings, separated by a glazed link, offer deep outdoor courtyards which provide shelter from prevailing winds on this exposed site. The H plan allows the house to be reduced to one wing for sole use by the owners enabling efficient heating, or when entertaining the home can be opened up for visitors. As the name suggests, the house watches over wide expanses of land and sky. It does so with a self-assurance appropriate to the grandeur of its location.”
Another of Gilpin’s projects, called The Nest, at Waikanae Beach, won regional award for new home between 150m² and 300m².
Description: A new home with a sanctuary feel was required in an intensified neighbourhood. With privacy a concern, the layout centres around an existing pōhutukawa tree. Limited windows face the neighbouring houses and so clerestory windows are introduced to allow light deep into the living areas. Spaces flow from one to another through large sliders. The exterior, low slung, nestles the home into the streetscape and existing trees. Battens and louvres not only provide decorative features but offer shading, privacy and screening to the spaces.
Judges’ comments: “Despite the restrictions of its site, this house appears to meander softly from the road to the private sun-filled rear garden, as if it emerges from a cloak of existing trees to take advantage of horizon views. Clever incorporation of partial mono-pitches and clerestory windows introduce sun and light, without compromising privacy from the neighbours. The entry boardwalk takes the scenic route, wrapping around the garage to create an enticing route towards the heart of the house, where the dining space provides a warm gesture of welcome before the other spaces are slowly revealed.”
And Gilpin’s Braised Brick project, at Waikanae Beach, won regional commended for new home over 300m2.
Description: A holiday home for escaping city life and to host extended family gatherings. A double-height slatted void, central to the living area, creates an uplifting experience. Extensive glazing and corner opening doors blur the spaces, allowing the various zones to borrow space from each other. The boxy forms, clad with braised brick and timber create a compelling shell for this coastal environment. The home has become a home away from home for the owners, who utilise it far more than initially expected.
Judges’ comments: “The gritty brick exterior of this project sheathes a home that is open and spacious, filling the interior with sunlight through a double-height space. Tall vertical louvres shield the occupants from both sunlight and neighbours, with extensive outside decking bringing the outside firmly inside the house.”
De La Haye’s Waimea Kitchen, at Waikanae Beach, won a commendation for home interiors.
Description: Originally built in the 1940s, the character cottage has provided its owners a sanctuary away from the pressures of the city. The client brief was to open the space up, while not losing the charm of the original interiors. Most importantly, it was the owner’s desire to retain the rimu timber panelling and windows in the new design.
Judges’ comments: “An appropriately sized contextual response to the beachside bach typology. Excellent timber wall-lining and window element reuse, combined with hard-wearing working surfaces, completes this robust and sympathetic interior renovation.”
The ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards are held annually by Architectural Designers New Zealand. ADNZ is a professional membership organisation for architectural designers and architects of New Zealand. The awards celebrate projects located across New Zealand, recognising excellence in residential and commercial design.
All winners of regional awards are finalists in the National ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards. The national winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 26 in Wellington.
