15 Hinemoa Street, Birkenhead Point
An unusual site made for a dynamic, award-winning design, writes Rebecca Barry Hill.
The site was challenging in many ways: long and slim, abutting the steeply sloping street, sharing its roost with grand old pohutukawa that reached over the water. But for architect Lynda Simmons and her clients, 15 Hinemoa Street, Birkenhead Point was a unique opportunity to create a home that would feel both earthy and dramatic – close enough to the city to appreciate its glittering skyline from across the harbour yet removed enough to feel like a haven. The resulting Fiddes House, built in 2003, comprises three horizontally spread levels, a contemporary replacement for a single-level 1960s home.
“The building was always going to be some kind of urban tree house,” explains Lynda of the design, which went on to win an NZIA award for architecture in 2005.
Because of the site’s unusual shape and harbour orientation, the high jagged roofline was conceived to 'reach up' so its windows could catch the sun, bringing it in from all angles at all hours of the day. Its other unique features include a street-side wall with strategically placed view slots through to the city and sea, and a cantilevered platform that allows for each room to capture the magnificent views.
“The wonderful clients wanted a home they could also run as a guest house, and we discussed many versions of privacy and gathering within domestic space,” says Lynda. Aside from its waterfront living spaces and deck, private zones can be delineated by sliding doors – downstairs, a deep ensuite bath affords anyone soaking in it the chance to also soak up the views.
Lynda adds that she was lucky to have been able to work with the celebrated late architect Greg Bowron, Heritage Advisor to North Shore City at the time. Despite its unorthodox roofline, the house’s weatherboard façade fits seamlessly with the colonial homes prominent in the area.
“I hope users feel the security and release in the design: the house condenses public and private space and shared and personal space into a tight area,” says Lynda.
Not that it feels restricted in any way inside. Visitors step past a Zen entranceway, complete with goldfish pond, and into a light, spacious home with one of the most expansive harbour views in the city.
For further information, call Trish Love M: 021 226 6099 or Peter Fitzgibbon M: 027 278 9336. www.premium.co.nz/10153
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