The brief for Shift House was to transform a Victorian villa located in a Special Character Area in one of Auckland’s oldest neighbourhoods into a family home that acknowledges the heritage of the original house, whilst delivering spaces with an overarching sense of ease that support contemporary day-to-day living. Context and materiality were key informants for the design response. The original house sits on a ridge with land dropping to the street on one side with the rear garden falling away to the north on the other. This presented an opportunity for a modern two-storey addition, concealed from the street, that on the lower level connected the house to the garden, and upstairs allowed for a new “room in the roof” bedroom with an outlook beyond the site. As the house transitions from old to new, it shifts in plan and section in response to both the topography and neighbouring buildings, creating different perspectives and opportunities for solar access and outlook.

Designer: MAUD

Photographer: Sam Hartnett