SCHOOL ZONES:
Richmond Rd, Ponsonby Intermediate, Auckland Girls’ Grammar, Western Springs College
CONTACT:
Jill Jackson or David Palmer, ph Jill 021 745 424, David 021 272 9834
Two leftover frosted glass panels and the shared architectural vision that slotted them into the context of a new kind of lifestyle opportunity have come together in this light, vibrant penthouse apartment and its commercial near-neighbours downstairs.
For owner Diana Creighton, it was the possibilities down and above this long, steep, narrow site on a Ponsonby side street that caught her eye some 17 years ago. At the time, a little wooden bungalow languished here, surrounded by semi-industrial buildings housing car repairers and furniture restorers. It seemed to be a part of town that lacked lustre and personality.
But, when Diana teamed up with architect Ross Brown, they came up with a style-appropriate building to realise the site's "mixed use" residential and commercial potential with an emphasis on lifestyle flexibility.
Built of concrete with corrugated aluminium exterior panels and silver anodised aluminium joinery, the building has both rear lift access and streetfront stairs to the top-floor penthouse apartment and to the ground floor and first floor commercial units.
This commission was Ross' first for a "mixed use" zoned site. "It's a fantastic zone," he says. "There needs to be more of them in the inner city in my view. It encourages you to go up and access light and views for both with commercial and residential space in the same building."
Of his collaboration with his client, he says, "Our idea was to keep the same aesthetic for both parts. We talked about the possibilities and we jumped into this project with great enthusiasm."
Aside from the design features in the double-height penthouse apartment, he explains how double-height glazing in the first floor commercial unit allows scope to add a mezzanine floor. He also confirms that either commercial unit can be converted to residential living spaces via Auckland Council's resource consent process.
The nature of this piece of land means the building is sited right on the eastern and northern boundaries with all the windows and sliding doors out to balcony living on the northwest and south sides to capture the midday and late afternoon sun.
The expansive interior of the penthouse has guaranteed plenty of natural light into the entire area with the balcony dining area taking in the long, green view of the western suburbs.
A horizontal window above the balcony's sliding doors maximises natural light into the mezzanine level, accessible up the stairs near the door into the apartment off the landing.
Along the mezzanine level, the family bathroom includes cupboard space for a second laundry -- the first is downstairs behind bifold doors near the kitchen. Further along the walkway, three double bedrooms include one at the end which has a kitchenette and an exterior door making it suitable as a home office. And it is in each of the first two double bedrooms, with their morning outlook across Ponsonby towards the city, where the two frosted glass panels come into play in this story.
Image 1 of 6: 47 Brown Street, Ponsonby. Photo / Getty Images
They had been languishing in Diana's basement, left over after a refit of her then-business premises in Parnell. Ross spotted them and had them installed in the wall between each bedroom and the mezzanine landing. "It was a very good place to put them because it enabled us to get borrowed light into the rooms."
For Diana, a businesswoman with a penchant for travel, her investment in this Ponsonby enclave came amid great lifestyle changes here.
Now she is focusing on her own lifestyle changes, keen to loosen up her home-base commitments in favour of more overseas travel.
