62 | Refurbishment lauded A key design feature for the project was the use of industrial componentry. Lloyd Hartley Architects T T Rosa Watson ARCHITECTURE highwireelectrical/ highwireelectrical/ www.highwire.net.nz 0508 44 44 94 info@highwire.net.nz DOMESTIC COMMERCIAL HIGH ACCESS / ROPE ACCESS CONFINED SPACE ELECTRICIANS CONSULTANCY & DESIGN We are proud to support Lloyd Hartley Architects A refurbished central Auckland apartment with a striking location has won the small project architecture award at the 2023 Auckland Architecture Awards. The project, named A Diaphanous Design, sits above Britomart, with access from both Emily Place and Anzac Ave. The 1920s warehouse building was converted into apartments in the 1990s. Lloyd Hartley Architects was approached by the owners of this apartment in January 2021 and took possession of their completed project in January 2022. “The project brief was to create a soft, filtered and textured inner-city home while also enhancing the industrial nature of the former warehouse building,” Lloyd Hartley Architects director Ben Lloyd said. “This was done by stripping back the existing apartment, exposing the underlying structure and then carefully curating the space while incorporating a combination of bespoke and modular cabinetry units.” The design – that had significant input by architectural graduate Emily Wood into the project’s realisation – was an opportunity to explore ideas of transparency, privacy, texture and modularity, he said. Crucially, the project brief was to have as few walls as possible and that any vertical surfaces needed to accommodate either cabinetry or artwork. The clients’ artwork and furniture were catalogued, CAD modelled and incorporated into the project from the outset. A key design feature for the project was the use of industrial componentry. “Steel beams, joinery, cabinetry and exposed conduit have all been thoughtfully integrated into the space and yet there is a lightness in both the ambience and the adaptability of the apartment that belies the heaviness of the components,” Ben said. Owned by a couple who are based between the Coromandel and Auckland, the inner-city residence provided a perfect lock-up with all the big-city amenities. The firm had worked with Absolute Construct previously, including an apartment refurbishment in a building of similar vintage just up the hill. “Their expertise in working within old buildings, on inner-city sites and with body corporate rules has made them a great partner for us in realising these projects.” The team was able to peel back previous layers to uncover some of the original character, “allowing us to then embrace the uniqueness of the space”. Located on an upper north-west corner of the building, a key driver of the project was to utilise this aspect and draw natural light into the apartment. One challenge that presented itself was using an existing service lift for getting all materials in and out of the apartment. “All componentry and structural members were designed to be able to fit.” Working in an old building on an inner-city site with body corporate restrictions, neighbours and a maze of building services had also added layers of complexity, Ben said. Lloyd Harley Architects has had previous success in past local awards for a number of different projects around the country. “It’s a really lovely way to share some of the work we’ve done with a much wider audience,” Ben said. “It’s an especially gratifying moment being acknowledged by our peers for the work we do. It’s also really nice for our clients to be recognised for the investment that they put into quality design.” Ben said it was undoubtedly a challenging time for the wider building industry. “With high building costs, interest rates and a great deal of global uncertainty we are appreciative of anyone willing to commit to bettering their built environment. “We need to be designing more consciously, densely and reinvigorating our existing building stock as we’ve done with this project to last for many more generations.” “The project brief was to create a soft, filtered and textured inner-city home while also enhancing the industrial nature of the former warehouse building,” Photos: David Straight
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