Turret House by Abri Architects

Remuera

Title:: Turret House
Architect:: Abri Architects
Category:: Residential/; Renovations and Extensions
Completed:: 2023
Building style:: Classic
Photographers:: PBF Painters

Originally built in the early 1900s for a local reverend and his family, the house had been subject to numerous alterations over more than one hundred years until our clients purchased it in 2019. The house is located in a highly protected Single House zone, and the site is subject to a Heritage overlay, meaning all aspects of the home’s appearance need to remain in keeping with the original building design. Our clients were happy to comply with these requirements, and wanted to refurbish the house and refit the interiors to create a character family home to suit their needs and those of their three young children.

As is common with older homes that have had a number of changes made to them, we find ourselves ‘undoing’ much of the damage caused to the original character, despite those changes having been largely well intentioned. We worked closely with Council Heritage Planners, to help them understand that we wished to return the home to tie in with its original design intent, whilst re-fitting it to provide contemporary living for our clients’ family.

As well as being mindful of the need to retain proportions and detailing in keeping with the original intent, we had to work in closely with structural engineers to bring the house up to modern code standards. This proved challenging, especially with our clients’ desire to ‘open up’ the home to take advantage of the sweeping views it commands across Remuera to the Hauraki Gulf. The result is a home that is virtually indistinguishable from the original old drawings commissioned for the old house. The appearance of the home belies the comfortable and contemporary facilities it houses, and we have been able to provide easy indoor-outdoor living within the bounds of a grand old home on Remuera’s Northern Slopes.

We’re enormously pleased with the result, brought about by dealing with a skilled craftsman build team, and consultants sympathetic to our desire to honour the character of this lovely old residence.

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Our main goal was to fully renovate our early 1900s Arts and Crafts home, bringing it up to modern standards while carefully preserving its original character. We hoped for a timeless, comfortable family home that felt like a fresh new build yet still honoured the charm of the original house.

John had a great sense of how to update the interior without losing any of the heritage features that make this house so special.

We really enjoyed working with Abri. They listened closely to our vision and delivered creative yet practical solutions that balanced modern living with the home’s heritage character. Their input during both design and construction helped ensure the renovation was seamless and true to the original Arts and Crafts spirit.

Watching the children use and play in the different areas is what really hits home that we made the right choices.

After living here for some time, the house has exceeded our expectations. It feels like a brand-new home while retaining all the beautiful character of the original. Being here makes us feel relaxed, comfortable, and deeply connected to the house’s heritage.

Feedback from family and friends has been excellent. People comment on how well the renovation blends modern comfort with the original character, and many say it feels like a new build while still looking like a classic Arts and Crafts home. Several have asked for Abri’s details after seeing the result.

– Clients