Wai-iti.

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Open-concept kitchen and dining area with wooden chairs, pendant lights, and a glass sliding door leading to a living room with a sofa and wall art.
A cozy corner with a dark wooden cabinet, a table lamp, a small plaid cushioned stool, and artwork on the green floral wallpapered wall in a well-lit home interior.
Living room with two light gray armchairs, a side table with a yellow base and round top, a large colorful abstract painting on the green paneled wall, and a window with white horizontal blinds and beige curtains.
A modern house with a wooden deck, brick walls, and black-framed glass doors. There is outdoor lighting, a wicker chair with a cushion, and potted plants and flowers along the garden border. Trees and shrubs are visible in the background.
View of a wooden outdoor deck with potted plants, a garden bench, and a modern house with a light-colored brick exterior. The house has black sliding glass doors, and there is a garden with greenery and flowers visible in the background. The sky is p
Modern house with beige brick walls, black accents, and large windows, illuminated by exterior lighting at dusk, surrounded by a garden and a concrete driveway.
Garage workshop with tools on the wall, a bookshelf with car magazines, and vintage cars visible through large windows.
A suburban residential house with a tiled roof, surrounded by a garden with bushes and small trees, under a sky with scattered clouds.
A modern house with a gray metal roof, white brick exterior, and large horizontal windows, at dusk, with front yard and trees in the background.
Interior view of a corner with a brick wall and a white brick lattice column, illuminated by a warm wall light. Four decorative duck sculptures are on the wooden floor.
Modern house with a white brick exterior, a textured wall on the right, and a garage with classic and modern cars parked inside, surrounded by greenery at dusk.

  • Wai-iti is a residential alteration and addition project located in Christchurch, transforming a modest 1950s red brick dwelling into a contemporary home that balances heritage character with modern living. The original house, approximately 100sqm in size, provided a robust foundation for a design that carefully reinterprets the language of the existing brick architecture while introducing new spatial and architectural expression.

    The project reconfigures the interior plan and lifts the existing roof lines to introduce greater volume and natural light throughout the living spaces. A new attached garage and an additional detached garage and office structure at the rear of the site support the owners’ passion for motorsport and their personal vehicle collection, integrating practical storage with lifestyle needs.

    Externally, the design explores the expressive potential of brick through curved forms and crafted detailing. A sculptural brick entrance screen, formed using a lattice bond pattern, creates a filtered threshold between the street and entry while referencing the craftsmanship of traditional masonry. At the rear, a cantilevered roof form extends over outdoor living spaces, creating shelter and architectural drama.

    The resulting home is a refined dialogue between past and present, celebrating the enduring materiality of brick while introducing contemporary architectural form.

  • The Wai-iti project demonstrates how careful architectural intervention can transform a modest mid-century dwelling into a contemporary home while retaining a strong connection to its original character. Rather than replacing the existing building fabric, the design strategy focused on reworking and elevating the architectural language of the 1950s brick home.

    Internally, roof lines were lifted to introduce generous volumes and improved daylight penetration across the primary living spaces. The revised plan enhances spatial flow while maintaining clear functional zones within the compact footprint of the original structure.

    Brick, the defining material of the original dwelling, became a central design device throughout the project. Its use was reinterpreted through contemporary detailing and crafted masonry elements. A curved brick screen at the entrance forms a striking threshold condition, using a lattice bond pattern to create depth, shadow, and visual permeability. This element establishes a distinctive identity to the street while maintaining privacy.

    Further brick expression is explored through curved walls that soften the geometry of the new additions and reinforce the continuity between old and new. At the rear of the house, a cantilevered roof form extends outward to frame the outdoor living areas, providing shelter while creating a strong architectural gesture.

    The combination of crafted brickwork, refined roof forms, and carefully integrated garage structures allows the home to accommodate the owners’ passion for motorsport while delivering a cohesive architectural outcome.

  • Located - Christchurch

    Completed - 2025

    Photography - Stephen Goodenough

    Crafted by - Whyte Construction