| 89 ARCHITECTURE Bonnifait + Giesen Architects Accolades for clever and careful multi-unit design Kelly Deeks A fine example of medium density infill housing architecture, the Chappell Townhouses in Mt Victoria in Wellington by Bonnifait + Giesen Architects, has impressed judges of the 2022 NZIA Wellington Architecture Awards and taken home a multi-unit housing category win for its clever and careful design. William Giesen says this project is an example of how to densify our central cities, making good use of the site and the sun, and producing high quality dwellings in sympathy with their surroundings. “Intensifying our central cities is an important part of what our generation of architects need to be part of from a sustainability point of view by making use of the existing infrastructure the cities have,” he says. “Rules around residential urban construction have become much more permissive and a lot of bad design is going to be done under these rules. Good design is going to be more important than ever with these rules in place.” With the Chappell Townhouses project, Bonnifait + Giesen Architects has taken a small site in a heritage area with an existing 1930s cottage, and created two new dwellings. At the front of the site, the weatherboard cottage has been extended and reconstructed in keeping with the Mt Vic aesthetic on top of a new basement garage finished in vertical cedar for a present-day twist. To the rear, a dark and striking contemporary townhouse with the same double gabled roof line as the cottage provides a modern contrast to a replicated theme. In terms of layout, the two homes are similar. Both feature a central, north-west facing courtyard opening out from the home from three sides from the lounge, kitchen, and dining rooms. Staircases rise above the central circulation area of the kitchen and their timber slat banisters in white serve to open up the stairwells and bring light into the living spaces below and the upper level landings. Bonnifait + Giesen Architects faced some complex planning rules in the heritage area of Mt Vic, so as well as structural engineers Spencer Holmes and planning consultancy the Property Group, an urban design consultant was also engaged on this project to help get the design through Council. The Chappell Townhouses were built by Murray & Nelson Construction and Matt Nelson says it was typical of the smart design he has come to expect when working on Bonnifait + Giesen Architects projects. As the design faced challenges relevant to location, the construction saw the same with multiple natural springs coming out of the ground in Mt Vic. “The ground works were the trickiest part of this job,” Matt says. “We had a boundary wall that kept collapsing and while that was happening, we got shut down for Covid. It was a stressful time and getting through it was a big step forward.” Being recognised by the industry and their peers for this project stands Bonnifait and Giesen Architects in good stead to take on more medium density infill housing designs as the studio commits to the challenge of creating quality infill housing. “Intensifying our central cities is an important part of what our generation of architects need to be part of.” JOINERY SHOP THE QUALITY KITCHENS • TIMBER JOINERY • DOORS • WINDOWS DAMON SHORE 04 567 7149 | 04 390 5430 www.thejoineryshop.co.nz SpencerHolmes engineers - surveyors - planners Spencer Holmes Limited are proud to support Bonnifait & Giesen Architects Level 10, 57 Willis St, Wellington | Ph: 04 472 2261 | www.spencerholmes.co.nz YES! WE’LL SORT IT! LED LIGHTING HEATING & VENTILATION OUTDOOR LIGHTING PHONE DATA HOME NETWORK HOME THEATRE ELECTRONIC SECURITY CALL SCOTT TODAY: 021 336 261 WWW.YESELECTRICAL.CO.NZ Master Electricians | Top Workmanship | Qualified Staff Chris Geany Ltd. REGISTERED MASTER PAINTERS Proud to be associated with Bonnifait & Giesen Architects 021 763 965 sarah@chrisgeany.co.nz 19 Newman Tce, Thorndon, Wellington
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