| 91 Townhouse restoration shortlisted for award Richard Loader All cabinetry in the kitchen, including fronts, are steel, delivering a sleek, modern look. Photos: Jason Mann. ARCHITECTURE Gibbons Architects ∙ Award-winning plaster finishes ∙ Specialising in installation of Resene Construction Plaster systems – Exterior & Interior finishes. ∙ New Builds, Re-clads or Renovations ∙ Landscaping walls, fences, outdoor fire-places. ∙ Plastering over existing block/ brick work ∙ LBP – Licensed Building Practitioner 021 514 192 jamie@texturedplaster.co.nz We offer a free on-site consultation and can guide you with our expert advice on the right finish and system for your property. Contact us for a free, no obligation quote or to discuss your future plans. Jason Mann Photography Sharp Sheet Metal offers high quality, custom engineering, stainless steel and the rest. Ash Cottam - 022 078 9863 Kelly O'Donnell - 027 324 5558 ash@sharpsheetmetal.co.nz Contact us for all your engineering needs Local supplier of Altherm window and door systems, specialising in architectural, residential and commercial joinery proudly supplying Gibbons Architects Ltd 53 Rimu St New Plymouth 06 758 5411 althermtaranaki.co.nz Breathing new life into a tired and outdated townhouse within New Plymouth’s premier seafront apartment development provided Gibbons Architects the perfect opportunity to showcase the breadth of their architectural skills and the talents of their team at the 2022 NZIA Western Architecture Awards. The Richmond Apartments project is one of eight projects shortlisted by the Jury, with the overall winners to be announced in August. North facing with amazing coastal views, Richmond Apartments is a block of adjoining townhouses that takes pride of place on the foreshore, just five minutes’ stroll from the town centre. Gibbons Architects was selected by the owner to work their magic, and transform her townhouse from its original ‘90s décor, creating sleek and contemporary living spaces. Nestled between adjoining townhouses and restricted by body corporate rules, the project brought with it several design challenges. “Along with a comprehensive interior alteration of the two-storey townhouse, our brief was to incorporate an exterior reclad and replacement of all exterior windows and doors,” says Sarah Gibbons, who co-owns the architectural practice with her husband Brady. “The client was open to being guided for the overall look, feel and end result. The challenge for us was how to reclad and change all the windows and doors within the Body Corporate’s like-for-like rules around colour and texture and plaster cladding. In the 1990s, window joinery was typically a very light colour, which the client wanted to upgrade. We worked with the window manufacture who enabled us to meet the Body Corporates regulations by providing different coloured internal window joinery to the light exterior colour.” Sarah says the real hero of the transformation story was the installation of a stylish central steel spiral stair case to replace the existing one. Folded steel treads overlaid with oak hug the rendered plaster wall. Slim steel rods tensioned from above provide an elegant edge, casting shadows throughout the day, and surround a beautiful Parisian street globe. “It was also about applying contemporary surfaces throughout the apartment. In the master bedroom, for example, there’s timber panelling on the wall behind the bed. The timber is brought through to the wardrobe joinery. “There’s a lot of vertical elements to elevate the spaces with materials, keeping things simple and focused towards the windows to encapsulate the incredible oceanic views. All kitchen and bathroom joinery was completely refreshed. The kitchen was fabricated by an Auckland company called IMO, which manufactures steel kitchens using the KXN system. All cabinetry including fronts were steel and integrated with the appliances to deliver a very modern sleek look.” Leading the Gibbons’ design team was Associate Architect Melanie Hansen who tirelessly drove the project from start to completion, working closely with the clients, lead contractors and materials manufacturers throughout the journey. “Melanie showed a lot of care and consideration with the material selection and placement of materials to ensure the coastal views were encapsulated. She was also very good at maintaining contact with the contractor and the manufacturers to ensure all the details that she had worked so hard to achieve were brought through, and I think that’s one of the reasons why the project was shortlisted. The finishing details were very exacting.” Sarah and Brady established their New Plymouth based practice in 2013, upon their return from overseas. While most projects have tended to be within the Taranaki region, Sarah says the team of five is working on a number of projects throughout New Zealand. “We tend to do a lot of residential projects, but we’ve also done a lot of hospitality and quite a few commercial projects. For us it’s about people, and we like to spend time talking to potential clients before we engage with them. We feel we can bring a lot of benefit to a lot of people.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=