SCHOOL ZONES:
Richmond Rd Primary, Western Springs College, Auckland Girls’ Grammar.
CONTACT:
Heather Walton, 021 432 167
These are interesting times for Auckland's architects. As the demand for housing in the city increases and with less space for traditional homes, they're having to get creative when it comes to designing houses, especially in upmarket areas.
Not only do they have to take into account the proposed AucklandUnitary Plan and what that will mean for homes of the future, they have to fulfill potential buyers' desires for homes that are spacious, light and stylish, as well as being practical and comfortable to live in.
This was the challenge architect Peter Townsend faced when Bella Residential asked him to come up with the concept for a handful of homes to be built on a large corner section in Grey Lynn.
The site, which was formerly home to a tennis court and a once-grand villa that had become a rundown boarding house, was ideal for redevelopment. Now, 18 months later, the five new weatherboard houses fit perfectly into the neighbourhood. Configured as two stand-alone houses and three townhouses, the homes are a sign of things to come, believes Peter.
"Houses like this are the way of the future," he says. "They make the most of the space while giving people everything they expect from a home in a popular area like Grey Lynn."
The house for sale, 21C Farrar St, is the middle of the three townhouses. It is spread over three levels, with a double garage in the basement level. Peter deliberately put the garage entrance at the rear of the property so it is not visible from the road.
"I just don't think it is a good look, having a row of garage doors facing the street," he says.
The house is entered through a landscaped courtyard behind a wooden fence. The layout has been inverted, so that the three bedrooms and two bathrooms are on the ground floor. The master bedroom has a walk-through wardrobe leading to a spacious en suite.
From the hall, one set of stairs leads down to the basement garage, and the other goes to the open-plan kitchen and living area upstairs. The upper level is a large, light-filled space that includes a separate covered-in loggia.
Image 1 of 4: Given a desirable location and site, architect Peter Townsend has built beautiful, thoughtful homes for city dwellers
It's there in place of a deck, explains Peter. Decks are popular in theory, but in practice they can be little used because they're open to the elements. "They end up just being home to a rusty chair and a pot plant," he says.
The loggia can be used year-round in all weathers and a wall of sliding glass stacker doors can either close it off from the living room or open it up to increase the space.
It has built-in cupboards and sliding windows that frame the outlook across the rooftops of Grey Lynn and Westmere to the Waitemata Harbour. "You get great views of sunsets from here," says Peter.
The sleek kitchen includes marble benchtops, ample storage, subway tiles and a gas hob. There's also a powder room on this level so there's no need to trek downstairs.
The house is highly specced throughout, and features French oak floors and fully tiled bathrooms with walk-in showers.
It's the ideal lock-up-and-leave home and the fact it is low maintenance is likely to appeal to people who don't want to spend their precious leisure hours doing DIY or gardening.
Instead, they can enjoy everything the neighbourhood has to offer. It is just a short stroll to shops and cafes in Richmond Rd (including Ripe), and Ponsonby Rd is also close by.
Peter points out that the house is also surrounded by parks -- Grey Lynn Park is at the end of the road -- and supermarkets, as well as Farro Fresh.
