At Home With Award-Winning Architect Ken Crosson In His New Ponsonby Apartment

Ever wondered how architects design homes for themselves? Ken Crosson’s new Ponsonby apartment is a nod to the heritage buildings of Ponsonby Rd, with an interior and attitude that’s decidedly modern, writes Leanne Moore.

In the world of architecture, it’s known as compression and release – the idea that you must pass through a narrow, constricted space before entering an open, spacious area.

Architect Ken Crosson’s new apartment in Ponsonby Rd, Auckland, embodies this principle. Turn right immediately after entering the front door and suddenly the relatively small footprint of the lobby gives way to a big, generous living room. The apartment entrance acts much like the central hallway in a villa – it takes you through a relatively narrow space that dramatically and suddenly gives way to a larger volume.

The Echelon apartments (the layout of the two apartments is almost a mirror image) replace the century-old villa that was on the site. The apartments are designed to pay homage to the history and style of the original villa, and others in the surrounding neighbourhood.

“The form and elevation of the Echelon references the existing heritage buildings in and around Ponsonby,” explains Ken, of Crosson Architects. “It’s designed to be a new version of the colonial structures. It’s a modern building but it’s not a loud, noisy building. The intention was for the apartment building to be contemporary while being respectful of its context.”

Ken has an affinity for villas – he lived in one for 35 years. Home before the apartment was Ardmore Rd, one of many villa-lined Ponsonby streets. But deep down, he had a hankering to build a contemporary apartment. “I liked the idea of doing something a bit edgy.” While the traditional villa was his inspiration, the apartment’s overall look and feel is very much of these times. The classic villa style is all about decorative features such as balustrades, fretwork and filigree, while the apartment building is pared back and masculine.

A subtle presence above The Diamond Shop, it’s across the road from the pocket park currently under construction by Auckland Council, designed for the growing number of urban apartment dwellers. Ken is delighted to be one of those. He has an easy commute to work – Crosson Architects is downstairs. “It’s great, I don’t get stuck in traffic!”

“As well as letting light in, the skylight above the kitchen acts as a type of sundial – it choreographs the day,” says Ken. The soaring ceilings that intersect at interesting angles are also a key element. “Architects sculpt space.”

A keen home chef, Ken has designed the streamlined kitchen to be very much a part of the living space. There’s also a scullery adjacent to the kitchen, so the messier parts of food prep can be hidden. He had the dining table custom-made to fit the space – it’s large enough to host dinner parties for eight, without dominating the room. After dinner, guests can spill onto the Bend sofa and enjoy the twinkling city lights, including a perfectly framed view of the Sky Tower. When Ken’s not entertaining, he draws the deep-navy velvet curtains, opens the custom-oak cupboard concealing the television, and settles in for a cosy night.

The Ponsonby Rd side of the apartment has double-height windows and doors facing the Waitakere Ranges, positioned to take in the fiery sunsets, which can be as equally impressive as the cityscape views. “Being at the top of the ridge, we knew the views were going to be amazing. That’s why I included a ‘crow’s nest’ roof terrace in the design,” he says. The single most striking architectural feature of the apartment is the black helical staircase in a prime position opposite the kitchen.

“It’s a piece of sculpture,” says Ken. “It was made in a factory from plate steel. We had it craned in before the roof was on.” To add to the visual drama, the staircase leads to a steel bridge that links the upstairs bedroom wings. “I like the idea of playing with volumes, and bridges are exciting as they punch through space.” The bridge has one more architectural flourish – an elegant curve juts out, acting as a sort of viewing platform to the living room below. “That detail was designed as another experience projecting into the space, a moment to give you pause.” The apartment has high-spec glazing to shut out most of the city noise. But when the windows and doors are open, the scream of sirens gives it a New York-style vibe. “I love it, it’s all part of urban living,” says Ken.

He’s been described as a humanist architect, and his work spans urban housing developments, civic and public projects, as well as residential and heritage buildings. He was a finalist in the World Architecture Awards for his Hut on Sleds project, a moveable tiny house at Whangapoua. His innovative ideas and meticulous attention to detail are what has won him international recognition – and put him on the radar of not one but two famous British TV show hosts.

Last week, he spent time with George Clarke from George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces and Phil Spencer of Location, Location, Location. Phil was here to film the second series of NZ’s Best Homes (Ken’s apartment is being featured). He met George (who has an uncle here and visits NZ regularly) a decade ago when he filmed a Crosson-designed bach in the Coromandel for his TV show. “George has become a good friend. He is a lovely man,” says Ken.

Crosson Architects’ work in high-density housing is also being held up as an exemplar of multi-unit residential design. Last year the firm’s Boathouse Bay housing development at Snells Breach was named Home of the Year by HOME magazine. Ken has strong views on the subject. “Cities can’t keep spreading out,” he says. “We need more intensity. This site was a single home and now it’s two apartments. We need to have higher-density housing on arterial routes and ridgelines like this.”

When he needs a break, Ken and his partner have the option of leaving the fast-paced city behind for time out at his bach at Otama beach.

“I like the yin and yang of it. One’s hard-edged and urban, the other is bachy, soft and casual. I know my privilege,” he says with a smile.

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