94 | Homes designed for real people and for the planet The house is designed on piles with 10, 2000-litre cube-shaped water tanks all linked together under the house and all strapped to the ground to anchor them should the site flood. LTD Architectural T T Virginia Wright ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN United by the wish to design in harmony with the environment and the character that‘s already there, and to focus on how each building fits into its surroundings without leaving a big impact, childhood friends David Maurice and Joseph Long established LTD Architectural 16 years ago. Working out of offices in Nelson and Silverdale, they make it a priority for their designs to complement their setting and respect the landscape. While most of their work is residential, LTD Architectural also takes on commercial and public projects, whether in coastal and lifestyle settings like Matakana, Omaha and Mangawhai in the north, or Golden Bay and Motueka in the south. Whether they are designing a new build for Northland or a renovation in Wanaka, the heart of their work lies in “creating considered architecture that’s practical, thoughtful, and focused on real people,” says Joseph. What that means is listening carefully to ensure they understand and correctly identify what matters to their clients, to ensure that people come first, along with their commitment to using resources wisely. In a nutshell, “designing right for people, place and planet,” he says. A recent build in Tramcar Bay, north of Matakana, is a good example of LTD Architectural wisely using resources – in particular in the way they made the most of the 175sqm site where the clients had finally decided it was time to replace two small cabins and a shed with a more permanent holiday home. While the house measures only 100sqm, every square metre was used on the site, which had no services, and was constrained by two large, protected trees, flood plains, coastal setbacks and the need for an on-site wastewater treatment plant. Collaborating with numerous engineers, they designed the house to sit on piles above the flood level, with lawn space around the house for the effluent dispersal fields, and stormwater soak pits combined with a delicately designed system harnessing gravity to take any excess back to the overflow channel on the road. New Builds + Renovations National and Regional Winner (Auckland) iconichomes.co.nz The house is designed on piles with 10, 2000-litre cube-shaped water tanks all linked together under the house and all strapped to the ground to anchor them should the site flood. Among the experts on the project was an arborist, who was tasked with ensuring the design of both the house and the paving around it was set back, as needed, to protect the trees. “Between us all we made it work and comply and got it through council,” says Joseph. LTD’s commitment to designing right for people and planet means they step back at the start of a job and work out what’s important both for the client and the environment. “Trying to do our best to do the right thing with the materials we use, and making buildings as efficient as we can to have the least footprint on the planet as we can,” explains Joseph. They are always aware of value engineering, considering the budget as closely as possible to design something buildable that the client can afford. For a recent renovation designed by David for a leaky building with a 70s’ stucco finish in Park Avenue, Takapuna, that meant retaining as much of the house as possible while achieving the clients’ request that they have privacy from the neighbours, and a contemporary feel, street-facing. A judicious but minimal change of footprint, a re-clad, the remodel of the front with cedar screens, and a new roof, gave new life to the building with minimal wastage, which included using off-cuts from the new cedar cladding to bring a touch of class to the interior. It’s the perfect example of LTD’s determination to do the right thing, by the client, the site and the environment. They want to show that high-quality design doesn’t have to be out of reach – it’s about adding value, solving problems and creating homes that feel good to live in.
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