State the potential
Once slammed for their poky interiors, former state houses can have good bones, writes Colleen Hawkes.
High average house prices and ongoing concerns about leaky homes have led many to look twice at our older housing stock. And many former state houses are coming up trumps. Wellington architect Ashley Cox, who has worked on many state house renovations, including one shown here, says they are renowned for their solidity.
‘‘They are generally timber-framed, although some were built using different materials and methods. And back in the day they were designed by Ministry of Works architects who incorporated some of the best practices at the time, and the best construction methods.’’
Not that the houses were all good, however. ‘‘They weren’t insulated, and some of the heavy tiled roofs of those old houses can let them down in a modern seismic environment. But that’s not necessarily a reason to tear them down.’’
Cox says part of our fascination with these homes is nostalgia. ‘‘We do yearn for things we can no longer have, such as rimu
or matai floors. We don’t get those now unless the floors are existing, or we find demolition timbers.’’
But the architect believes we could put a little more thought into how we alter these houses. He doesn’t believe they need as much work as we might think.
‘‘When you have a constraint to work with [as an architect], quite often you come up with a better solution than if you are working in a vacuum. These buildings have an existing context, and the most successful projects are those that recognise this, and work with it.
‘‘Today, people have a great penchant for removing walls – there’s that push for openplan everything. But there is still some architectural importance to be given to keeping some sense of separation, providing different spaces for different uses.’’
Cox prefers the ‘‘judicial removal of walls’’ to the wholesale opening up of an interior. ‘‘You can remove the grain of a building [if you take away too much].’’
With the house shown here, Cox says he opted for a ‘‘chicaning’’ effect that shifted the alignment of the rooms, so there is still some connection, but not a direct visual link. ‘‘People still have their own pocket to occupy.’’
Those small windows also get a tick. ‘‘Eco houses today feature smaller windows, especially on the south side of the house, because of the thermal advantages.’’ And what about those old kitchens? ‘‘Even keeping the state house kitchen can be great,’’ the architect says. ‘‘We don’t have to bowl it all – we can keep some of the playfulness. The kitchens in these houses may have been small, but they were in proportion. In a great number of houses today, they are not. They are often so large that they are completely out of proportion. So often, these huge kitchens in the centre of the house seem to be something to show your friends, rather than something you cook in.
‘‘There’s a lot to be said for that bygone era of simplicity.’’
Cox should know – he lives in an old house designed by a Government architect. ‘‘We have a photograph dating back to 1945 and it looks like a state house, but more European.’’
His house retains the original rooms. ‘‘It is cellular – we don’t feel the need to bowl the wall between the kitchen and dining room. To do that would change the character of the whole house.’’
The architect says renovating in New Zealand is expensive, so it pays to limit the scope to things that will bring the most benefits. ‘‘Do less but get more,’’ he says. ‘‘It’s about efficacy. Sorting out your heating should come before a flash kitchen.’’
Not every state house will lend itself to modern family living, however. Auckland architectural designer Richard Furze and his wife bought an ex-state house in Sandringham with the intention of renovating.
But transforming the 1950s house didn’t quite pan out as planned. It was going to cost $30,000 more to renovate, than to start over. ‘‘The house was all back to front for the sun and outdoor living,’’ Furze says. ‘‘The rear yard faced north, but the living areas were at the front of the house. And it had been butchered with a bad renovation in the 1970s, which removed all the original character. There were asbestos glitter ceilings and swirling plaster – if it had been original, it would have been fun to work with.’’ The designer’s solution was to take it down to the floor, and recycle key items.
It’s still possible to see part of the old state house. The home sits on the same floor, and the front door is in the same place. Inside, the original doors feature throughout the home, and the old garage rafters have been milled to create a beautiful dining table.
‘‘The design floor plan kept the suggestion of individual rooms while exploring the desired connection with the outdoors that this period [the 50s] neglected. A love of cooking has further informed the new design.’’