Hamilton South Bungalow Modernisation

1937 'Art Deco" into the Contemporary Era

Bringing a 1937 'Art Deco' Californian bungalow into the contemporary era has breathed new life into this brick veneer classic. Set in garden suburb heritage area, there were tight restrictions on what could and couldn’t be done to fulfil the owners ‘ ambitious plans. These included an integrated family/lounge/kitchen area and a studio space at the rear of the property. A new second storey main bedroom and ensuite are set back from the street building alignment to reduce visual impact on the heritage zone. The roof of the new works replicates the pitch and material composition of the host roof . A rear verandah extends the internal floor plane of the downstairs area to create an outside in/inside out flow to this level. The sunken pool area and compact grass zone offer a low maintenance, highly usable space that compliments the internal renovations. Tonal shades were graduated from existing brickwork that made up the original home, giving the whole structure a unifying colour palette. Darren’s design rationale for the renovation was in keeping with the best-practice heritage conservation principles of repairing, preserving and maintaining heritage features and materials. However, the point of demarcation between the new and old work reflects modern architectural style, material and methods. This thoughtful, empathic renovation honours the past and legitimises the new in a seamless integration of the two.