An Architects Own House Designed and Restored for a Growing Family (House Tour)

Originally built in 1954 by acclaimed New Zealand practice Group Architects, Skelton Studio House is an architects own house. The mid-century home in Auckland’s North Shore has been lovingly restored by Piers Kay – an architect at Fearon Hay – for his growing family, fusing mid-century and contemporary architecture and interior design ideals to tether this home in place.

Upon discovering what would become the architects own house, Piers was immediately drawn to its modernist and Japanese-inspired architecture and interior design. Though in good condition, it had been altered significantly over the years and the garden was overgrown. As such, he focused on restoration and renovation works to the existing as well as increasing the home’s footprint. He designed a new extension to house his growing family. “The brief we gave ourselves was to respect the original house – we really loved it – and, for a while, we thought we would keep it pure and never change it, but we decided to make the spaces slightly more usable for us and slightly bigger,” Piers says.

The resulting footprint of an architects own house is defined by two connected forms sitting in the landscape: the existing, timber square structure and the new extension, “which is massed as a long, low rectangle to the street,” Piers explains. Their opposing materials of timber and perforated steel create a powerful juxtaposition in the architecture, leading to an intriguing spatial narrative across the exterior. Both structures sit diagonally on the site, creating deep pockets of outdoor space around the home’s perimeter and the feeling of a sanctuary amid the landscape. Piers speaks to the effect of this intriguing footprint, saying, “there’s a really strong feeling and sense … of being in a private sanctuary, and part of that is the light and gardens and outlooks, [which] are all really protected and focused.”

Inside an architects own home, the existing has been restored in response to the needs of a growing family. The bathroom was a particular focus as a space of luxury. Cedar window frames and French oak floors complement the existing interior design and restored timber posts and beams recall the project’s mid-century roots. The kitchen is design freedom defined; sitting at the centre of the open plan living and dining area, it is prominent. However, it has been designed to recede into the architects own home, rendering it almost imperceptible. “Part of the work we were interested in doing was creating a kitchen that had a sense of front and back of house,” Piers says, referring to how the primary space has been designed in comparison to the more discreet scullery deeper into the plan. “In order to achieve those spaces, we started talking to Fisher & Paykel about what appliances would work in those various zones.”

In the main section of an architects own home, a round dining table sits in the centre and custom cabinetry in a plastered finish with stone benchtops wraps the room’s edges. The joinery is minimal in expression and the only visible appliance is Fisher & Paykel’s Downdraft Induction Cooktop. Also, the bathroom is a sanctuary within the home, expressing a minimal palette and an overt connection to the outdoors.

This sense of tranquillity is integral to the experience of Skelton Studio House; it is a sanctuary surrounded by a lush garden, and Piers’ approach to restoration and renovation is harmonious.

00:00 - Introduction to the Architects Own House
00:39 - The History of the Original House
01:17 - A Respectful and Modern Brief
01:40 - A Walkthrough of the Home
03:03 - Focusing on the Kitchen
05:15 - Tactile and Natural Materials
05:58 - Incorporating Light and Landscape

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Photography by Simon Wilson.
Architecture and Interior Design by Piers Kay.
Build by Contour Construction.
Landscape Design by Jared Lockhart.
Structural Engineering by Sullivan Hall.
Appliances by Fisher & Paykel.
Videography by O&Co. Homes.
Production by The Local Project.

Location: Belmont, New Zealand

The Local Project acknowledges Māori as tangata whenua and Treaty of Waitangi partners in Aotearoa New Zealand. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our respective countries and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.

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