Extending a Legacy – Auckland House by Cheshire Architects & Lucas Design Associates

Extending a long history of working with the same client and site, Auckland House is the latest instalment by Cheshire Architects and Lucas Design Associates on a coastal clifftop near Auckland. Combining an acute understanding of the terrain and its context with a sense of luxury and refinement, Cheshire Architects creates a restful enclave.

Nothing more clearly dignifies a successful relationship between architect and client than continued engagement and numerous projects. For this continuation to occur on the same site is even more rare. Auckland House sees Cheshire Architects again navigate a challenging clifftop site and extend a home they had previously delivered for the owners. Imbued with a sense of luxury and refinement, the building is a tranquil place from which the inhabitants can take in the exceptional views of the ocean and coastline.

Nothing more clearly dignifies a successful relationship between architect and client than continued engagement and numerous projects.

Built by Clifftop Services, Auckland House acts as a stepped pathway between the streetscape and the coast. The new works are the result of adjacent land becoming available and the want of the client to extend the home Cheshire Architects had initially designed for them. Conceived as a stand-alone pavilion, the extension is connected to the original home through a single-storey common zone and acts as a contemporary veil to both the old and new dwellings. The transition downward is mapped around a wall of granite blocks that also connect each of the home’s five levels, and the extension wraps around existing trees as it descends the cliff.

Auckland House sees Cheshire Architects again navigate a challenging clifftop site and extend a home they had previously delivered for the owners.

Designed together with Lucas Design, the interior is curated to speak to the same refinement as the architectural gestures. Clean lines come together with a generous application of natural stone and timber, all accented by tactile metal details. A palette of warm, muted neutrals wraps the interiors, and a richness is created through layering of textural additions and the placement of contemporary New Zealand art and Maori artefacts. Amongst the controlled imposed elements, there is a notable respect for the natural and unyielding environment beyond evidence by the framing of coastal views. Each zone opens up to the ocean and to the bountiful landscape beyond, in response to both the site and the biophilic values of the owners.

Auckland House is the next chapter in the story of a trusted relationship and of the natural evolution of the built forms on the site to accommodate a growing family over time. Cheshire Architect’s in-depth understanding of both the clients and the site’s difficult terrain has made the latest addition manifest with ease, resulting in a timeless and welcomed addition to the coastline.

Auckland House is the next chapter in the story of a trusted relationship and of the natural evolution of the built forms on the site to accommodate a growing family over time.