96 | ARCHITECTURE Fineline Architecture T T Aimee Wilson Calm spaces scoop award Natural light has been brought in through a skylight in the bathroom and to connect day and night and there is an overall sense of calm within the spaces. Top-notch Nelson electricians ready to solve your problems within your budget. Domestic | Commercial | Industrial 027 225 8486 | admin@seinelson.co.nz www.seinelson.co.nz Proudly Supporting Fineline Architecture 207 Akersten Street, PO Box 7139, Nelson 7040 03 548 0612 kelvin@atkinsons.co.nz www.atkinsons.co.nz Bespoke cabinetry, kitchens and bathrooms A transformative bathroom and kitchen designed by Nelson-based architect Magdalena Garbarczyk has won recognition at the NZIA Nelson and Marlborough 2026 Regional Architecture Awards. Taking out the Housing-Alterations and Additions category, the Sharlands house was first renovated 10 years ago, and then Fineline Architecture came along and remodelled the bathroom for the clients to make it feel like a day spa at home. Magdalena also redesigned the kitchen and laundry to update the spaces with a fresh and warm feeling, but still in keeping with the character of the existing home. “It’s not so much about luxury, it’s about using the right products, the right light and the layering of materials,” she says. The renovation was not to set out and make an architectural statement, “but to make it feel that it has always been there”. This also meant more of the budget could be used on the nicer things that people can see and touch. Natural light has been brought in through a skylight in the bathroom and to connect day and night and there is an overall sense of calm within the spaces. “Sometimes, bathrooms can feel too bright, which takes away the calm and cosiness,” Magdalena says. The homeowners are empty nesters, and have a selection of beautiful furniture in a specific style, so Magdalena didn’t want to compete with that. Sustainability is at the core of what Fineline Architecture does, and in the Sharlands house structural changes are kept at a minimum. Magdalena is involved with every part of the design process from the forms of the architecture through to the final features of each space, using different colours, textures and materials. Making the NZIA award shortlist was a great feeling, she says, “being recognised by your peers, who understand it and feel it”. It feels more personal this time, because the recognition is for her own practice, and resonates quite differently from being in a team in a corporate company. Having an expert eye that can truly appreciate the work involved in her renovation was special, she says. Polish-born Magdalena was raised in France and studied in both France and The Netherlands. She gained professional experience at design-focused, internationally acclaimed firms in Madrid and Rotterdam before moving to New Zealand in 2012. In Auckland, she became a design team leader at the award-winning practice Fearon Hay Architects. Moving to Nelson, Magdalena partnered with Mathew Hay to form Fineline Architecture in 2021, and the team has now become four, their work spanning residential, hospitality and workplace projects across New Zealand. In 2024 she became chair of Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZ Institute of Architects Nelson Marlborough branch, and is stepping into a board director role in June. The practice has been training in both passive house and Homestar design methods – learning about ways to upgrade and transform spaces without producing a lot of waste, and most importantly, understanding the health of a building, and having adequate ventilation. Magda is also a member and region representative for Architecture + Women NZ group that started in 2011 and shines a light on females in the industry. to build outside the square www.m2buildnelson.co.nz
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