One hundred years young

Roseneath I Wellington

What started as a meeting to discuss overdue maintenance for a tired, damp 1920s Wellington bungalow, soon became an extensive makeover into an entertainer’s modern, high-performance dream.

“We discovered the house had endured some questionable DIY and creative plumbing in the past. We gave every element of the home a complete overhaul, as well as adding a 40m² extension,” says Niamh Short from Windy City Builders, who specialise in preserving the capital’s heritage homes.

To install the new foundations, Niamh and her business partner, Alex Cartmell-Gollan, navigated the geographically complex site. “The rock face was dug by shovels and carried out in buckets by hand. We laughed at the time about using a helicopter, but that might have been more cost effective,” jokes Niamh. “Ironically, we eventually needed a helicopter to airlift the 600kg granite benchtop into the new kitchen.”

The homeowner’s brief was to future-proof the home and create spacious entertaining areas for hosting guests, while harnessing the views on top of Mount Victoria down to Oriental Parade. The original features of the traditional home were preserved using matai flooring, timber joinery, weatherboards, and custom doors.

With the homeowner a futurist by profession, reducing the home’s emissions profile and ‘creating a bit of glamour while still being green’ was a priority. Alongside modern ventilation and central heating, a Pro Clima passive house system was installed. Custom solar panels are connected to Tesla battery storage concealed in the master wardrobe.

“We took a tired 100 year old bungalow and set it up to live for another 100 years,” says Niamh proudly.

NZCB Member ⁄ Niamh Short www.windycb.com