2026
To Keep you Home
Completed
Westmere New House
Winner of the 2019 NZIA Auckland Housing Award for New House — this warm, moody new build in Westmere turns its back on the world and puts family firmly at its heart. Tucked down a private driveway and hidden from the street, the house sits quietly on its section, revealing itself only once you arrive. A response to the 100-year-old Pohutukawa tree at the heart of the site, the L-shaped plan wraps around a grassy internal courtyard, creating a sense of being held in a private cocoon — sheltered, connected, and completely at ease.
Rich materials, layered throughout
Inside, the material language is rich and sophisticated. Black panelled walls in the entry are juxtaposed with lighter, sunlit spaces beyond. Walnut acoustic ceiling and walnut cabinetry carry through the kitchen, dining, and living areas, with brass detailing adding warmth at key moments. Granite benchtops bring out the grain of the timberwork, and surprising pops of colour appear in hidden spaces — a reminder that a considered home can hold personality as well as calm. The exterior is clad in black metal, chosen for its durability and low-maintenance finish on a site surrounded by established planting.
A plan built around connection
The lofty kitchen is the lynchpin of the plan — connecting all four bedrooms, the two living areas, and a covered outdoor dining deck that flows directly to the lawn. From the kitchen, you can watch children playing on the lawn or hold a conversation with friends in the lounge, without leaving the heart of the house. All rooms converse with each other. Upstairs, bedrooms carry wallpapers that reflect the personality of each child, while the adults’ spaces are more refined — every room considered as its own world within the whole.
A home that keeps you close
This Westmere new build was recognised widely on completion, winning the 2019 NZIA Auckland Housing Award for New House, a 2019 Interior Awards Finalist placing for Residential Interiors, and a Highly Commended at the 2020 TIDA New Zealand Architect-Designed Kitchens, alongside features in Homestyle, Home New Zealand, and Urbis magazine. It is a home that makes you want to stay — a sanctuary that earns its name.
The generous kitchen is the lynchpin — connecting four bedrooms, two living areas, and a covered outdoor dining deck to the lawn
Walnut, brass, granite, and black metal — a material palette that is rich, warm, and built to last
Winner of the 2019 NZIA Auckland Architecture Award for New House
Tucked down a private driveway, hidden from the street — a home that reveals itself only once you arrive
Building a new home in Westmere or the wider Auckland area?
If you are after an NZIA award-winning practice to design a home that is warm, considered, and genuinely shaped around your family, we would love to talk about your site and your project. Get in touch to start the conversation, or browse more new build projects for inspiration.
Photography
Simon Devitt
Critical Acclaim
2019 NZIA Auckland Housing Award
2019 Interior Awards Finalist – Residential Interiors
2020 TIDA New Zealand Architect-designed Kitchens – Highly commended
Home Style, October/November 2019
Home Style x Fisher & Paykel video feature
Home New Zealand, June/ July 2019
Urbis, Issue 111
