Connected Simplicity – Pompallier House by Matter Architects
As a preservation of its past together with a proposal that activates its present, Pompallier Residence balances old and new with a shared charm and character. Matter Architects infuses a light-inspired approach that draws a more meaningful connection between the built and the natural.
Nestled into the tightly woven community of Ponsonby, in the North Island of New Zealand, Pompallier Residence sees a series of interventions open an existing villa-style home to create a more contemporary occupation and prepare for the future chapters to unfurl. By stripping back the overall confused form to its original base, removing ill-fitting additions accrued over multiple years without any connection beyond the built walls, the new home and its expanded footprint can be seen with more clarity. While the original villa is representative of its origins and characteristic of the area, retaining this as part of the new works was key to continuing and strengthening the story of the home. Matter Architects used these initial formal cues to expand an approach of openness resulting in a revised home that represents the present.
With landscape design by Xanthe White, Pompallier Residence was built by QBS and is both an addition and alterations effort. While a home is uniquely private and seclusive, it is also a mode of representation and self-expression. The balancing of these qualities and the idea of being engaged with the extents of a site while still feeling protected also informed the brief for the home, intertwined with ensuring the previous layers and details were carried forward. The resulting home sees a split-level addition sit separate from the original villa by way of a series of courtyard spaces, offering a natural buffer while subtly signalling the shift.
The overall materiality and palette take inspiration from the surrounds, with a generous integration of timber throughout the flooring and joinery adding warmth and texture in the process. The polished concrete flooring underfoot creates a robust base for family life, while providing a cooler material capable of absorbing solar gains throughout the year. An overall lightness is emphasised through the integration of openings and glazing throughout, with light walls the ideal absorber and accentuator of light, increasing a perceived sense of scale in the process. Connecting beyond the façade, brickwork continues out from the kitchen into the garden, binding both.
