Home New Zealand – August 01, 2019

Project

‘Top Shelf’, plus

‘Box & Tower’

Architect

Spacecraft Architects

& Melling Architects

Location

Miramar, Wellington

Brief

Designtwofamily

homesona 406-

square-metresection

Abigstepintherightdirectionfor
co-housing,thetwohomesonthissteep
Wellingtonsitepossessa sharedvernacular,
whilemaintainingindividualityandan
appealingsenseofseparation.

1 —Theopen-planlivingspaceoftheupper

homerisestoa mezzaninefloorabove.

2 —Multi-levelinteriorscorrespondwith

layersofoutdoorliving. 3 —Oliveand

Archiepeekthrougha cut-outinthe

D-4lowerdwelling’sstairwell.

Collective

conscience

PHOTOGRAPHY
DAVID STRAIGHT

Howareyouenjoyinglivingthere?
Wearelovingit andenjoytheongoing
relationshipbetweenthetwohouses
andfamilies.

What’schanged?Plantsaregrowingup
whichsoftensthespacebetweenthetwo
housesandcreatesanotherenvironment
forthekidstoplayinastheygetbigger.

Anyplansorprojectsforthefuture?Weare
workingona numberofexcitingco-housing
developments– fromfourhouseholdsto 20

• whichtakethisideaofbuildingcollectively
  muchfurther.

Whydoyouthinkit works?Eachhousehas
anopenaspecttothesunandview,while
themassingofthetwobuildingsonthesite
preservesprivacyandamenity.Theirphysical
closenessanddensitymakestherelationship
betweenoccupantseasy.

1

2 3

Q&A

TIM GITTOS,
SPACECRAFT ARCHITECTS

Dwelling A

Dwelling B