Character and connection

Designed by Terence Yang, AR+TS Architectural Design

From the renovating building designer:

This home renovation begins with a simple question: how can a familiar 1920s New Zealand bungalow evolve for contemporary family life without erasing the qualities that made it worth retaining?

The design responds through a strategy of retention, transition and transformation. 

Original weatherboard character preserved

The original weatherboard character and intimate scale of the front rooms are preserved, maintaining the identity and memory of the existing house. 

From here, a sequence of softened thresholds and arches gradually shifts the experience of the home – from enclosed, familiar rooms toward a generous, light-filled rear pavilion.

Contemporary addition

Rather than replicating the language of the original bungalow, the new addition is deliberately contemporary. 

The recurring arches act as a mediating element between old and new, giving continuity to spaces of distinctly different character and scale.

Rear now opening to garden

At the rear, the architecture opens fully to the garden and outdoor hearth, extending family life beyond the traditional footprint of the bungalow. 

The transition from house to landscape becomes part of the daily experience of the home, replacing the conventional separation between interior and backyard with a more fluid relationship.

The project is ultimately an exercise in adaptation rather than replacement. 

Old and new are allowed to remain legible, but neither is treated in isolation. 

The completed renovation demonstrates how an established New Zealand housing typology can be reframed for a new generation of living – retaining its familiarity and character while creating greater light, openness and connection.

Story by: Trendsideas