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After years of globetrotting and designing buildings for others, hospital architect Tessa Kingsbury has finally popped the champagne on her own dream project in Dunedin.
Kingsbury’s repurposing of a disused 70-year-old Sunday School building in Anderson’s Bay into a pill-shaped glasshouse home was documented on the latest season of Grand Designs NZ.
The budget for the build ballooned from $480,000 to $600,000, before settling somewhere under $1 million.
Dunedin Hospital architect Tessa Kingsbury's home was originally a Sunday School hall, and now accommodates her home at this end, and a studio, separated by a glasshouse. Photo / Ben Tomsett
Following its grand unveiling to family and family last Saturday, Kingsbury is keen to open one end of the house to Airbnb guests, followed eventually by tours of the uniquely designed building.
After relocating to Dunedin to work on the new hospital’s design, a role she quit two and a half years ago, Kingsbury decided to set about searching for a piece of land to construct her dream home on.
“I had a night in Christchurch before I came down, and I was probably drinking watery red wine, and I started sketching my dream house... I sketched it on the back of a serviette like all kooky architects are famous for doing, and it had one bedroom at one end, a glass house in the middle, and a studio at the other end,” she said.
The studio room, which architect Tessa Kingsbury plans to open as an Airbnb. Photo / Ben Tomsett
Despite having a clear concept, Kingsbury was unable to find a block of land within her price range, until a friend brought her attention to the old St Michael’s Hall building for sale in Anderson’s Bay.
“The inspiration of my initial idea fit perfectly,” she said.
“I never envisaged putting it in barrel shape ... but the inspiration behind it was actually my nana’s glasshouse.”
The ends of the house are separated by a functional glasshouse, the roof constructed of part iron and part glass which curves down in the same barrel shape as the original building. Kingsbury’s personal wing is built on the former stage.
Tessa Kingsbury meticulously hand-sanded the ground floor of the studio room to maintain its historical imperfections. Photo / Ben Tomsett
While some detractors have suggested the house will overheat, Kingsbury said the masterstroke in keeping it cool on hot days was a passageway from the underground basement through to the glasshouse.
“That brings all that cool air up into the glasshouse, but I try to keep it warm and keep it humid. It is one giant experiment, and I’m trying to grow some plants that would otherwise not thrive in Dunedin.”
Kingsbury worked to preserve many of the historical elements of the original building, including hand-sanding the wooden floors of the lower level to maintain scuffs and blemishes such as stiletto marks from when the hall was used for dance lessons.
The design incorporates obscure glass, inspired by family history, that provides privacy to certain areas, though Kingsbury was keen to maintain natural light throughout the home.
Tessa Kingsbury says the design of her home was inspired by glasshouses she has visited over the years, including her nana's. Photo / Ben Tomsett
“It makes you feel like you’ve created something that’s playful and fun and connected to the environment. You can really get in touch with a circadian rhythm, which is where your body gets in tune with what time of day it is and what the weather’s doing.”
Looming over the glasshouse is a tree she’s named Rex, which by luck has played a crucial role in the design, providing shade and privacy to the residence.
“This place wouldn’t be what it is without Rex.”
Grand Designs NZ was involved from early in the project after a colleague Kingsbury showed her sketch to suggested she contact the show.
“I was able to have great architectural conversations with [host Tom Webster] who really values architects and architecture, and I for a chunk of it had forgotten they were even doing an episode.
“They were just great, supportive.”
Tessa Kingsbury's private end of the house is built on the hall's former stage. Photo / Ben Tomsett
Since completing the home, Kingsbury said she had spent every morning waking up in appreciation of the space.
“I love it. I love where I wake up, I love seeing Rex through the glass, I love seeing immediately as I open my eyes what kind of weather we’re having... There was one morning where it rained overnight, and when the sun was up it looked like a crystal palace.”
“I absolutely fundamentally believe that if we design our houses for healthy living, it will have a positive impact on our wellbeing ... Ask me on my deathbed, and I’ll tell you how I went, but it’s worth having a go.”
“If you have the opportunity to design something that really embraces that connection to nature, you’d be a little bit bonkers not to.”
