A Contemporary Endurance – Valley House by Keshaw McArthur

Born from an exploration of the typical New Zealand residential vernacular, Valley House sees an existing Victorian-era villa injected with a revised sense of proportion and order. Keshaw McArthur bridges old and new, through a contemporary endurance.

Located in Auckland, Valley House sees Keshaw McArthur engage in a series of explorations and studies of what comprises the contemporary New Zealand residential vernacular. Originally a Victorian-era villa, the pre-existing bones reference years of ill-considered renovation work, absent of any semblance of a masterplan informing these extensions of the home. Taking reference from the formal language of neo-classicism and the associated proportions and order, the approach was to create a style that references the old and utilises materiality and innovation to bridge toward a cohesive new design.

The new revised extension is born out of a framework that uses the large bay window overlooking the pool terrace as the focus, with all other zones hinging from this point. Through reviewing and analysing the previously existing excess, an approach based on reductionism was created and deployed across all areas. The resulting spaces echo a considered minimalism and an embedded sense of calm. Integrated elements throughout also allow for the multi-functional use of each, where crossovers seem natural. The use of door hardware integrated into door frames and hidden doors, which can open and function as walls for dividing spaces, are just some of the many integrated elements.

Intended as a place that acts as a conduit for catching the natural light and shadow from the exterior garden areas, the house is spread across a site of 960 square metres, with an internal area of 260 square metres. The subtle shifts in texture and colour, and the interaction with natural architectural lighting, allow for engagement with the muted palette to express its own nuanced richness. The use of natural materials – timber, stone, metalwork and textured plaster – all create intimate moments of privacy and recluse through softness and tactility.

In contrast to the disorganised planning of the original, in its contemporary form, Valley House sees an exterior free of excess, with refined and subtle details carried throughout the interior. Through studies in proportion, transition and threshold, a considered sense of hierarchy is created, slowly minimising and reducing in scale on approach. Keshaw McArthur has created a sense of rich timelessness through a restrained, considered and curated approach that projects qualities of endurance.

Valley House sees Keshaw McArthur engage in a series of explorations and studies of what comprises the contemporary New Zealand residential vernacular.

Keshaw McArthur has created a sense of rich timelessness through a restrained, considered and curated approach that projects qualities of endurance.