Located in Auckland's Grey Lynn, sitting on a narrow steep site overlooking the city are a stunning array of five New York styled lofts, previously home to just one dwelling. After a developer client came to Leuschke Kahn Architects wanting to maximise the sites potential, they discovered height restrictions were imposed due to the close proximity of the neighbours, an apartment building was now out of the question. The architect immediately recognised the potential for views looking over the suburb and out to the harbour, if his new design could peek over the residence adjacent.
“We looked at several options to maximise the site, eventually deciding on a row of modern terraced townhouses,” says the architect. “At that time, Auckland hadn’t really embraced the idea of terraced housing. We simply didn’t have the planning rules for them – it was either a stand-alone house or apartments. There was nothing in between, which is a shame, especially in these fringe suburbs where terraced housing sit more sympathetically alongside the traditional housing stock. The new unitary plan is however a little more sympathetic to this style of housing,” he adds.
“We drew our inspiration from those iconic, converted New York lofts, and added a little bit of industrial,” says, Leuschke. “The base palette is very simple – wide-plank wooden floors and white walls. Metal mesh screens and raw, blackened metal staircases, with matching fireplaces and flues provide the industrial highlights. The kitchens are black, too, and sit beneath the elevated office nooks that are located beneath the apex of the peaked roof.”
"The building is topped-off by a distinctive saw-tooth roof profile – a nod to some of the old factories in the area, but also a practical way of conforming to the council restrictions and at the same time maximising the site. The roof is clad in a standing-seem metal profile – this drops down over the street front, giving the building a distinctive façade."
All imagery is credited to Leuschke Kahn Architects & Photographer Jamie Cobel.
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