Group Architects Mid-century home in top condition listed

Tuesday, 17 September 2024

Skelton Studio House in Belmont, Auckland, has been extensively renovated to retain its original Group Architects design language. It is listed for sale with Harcourts.

There’s a wealth of information on the Skelton Studio House on the Fearon Hay website - and that’s because architect-owner Piers Kay designed a major renovation of his Group Architects’ house on the North Shore.

Built in 1953, the house was one of a cluster designed by the acclaimed Group, which brought a pared-back Modernist influence to residential architecture in New Zealand. This house, however, had been neglected, the architects say. But it still had the “clear bones of the original Group design - a clear spatial rigour defined by its overall 8m x 8m square, exposed warm timbers (albeit a lot painted), and a sense of opportunity with the gardens”.

They say restoration began in 2013 to restore the sliding doors and flat roof, and just two years ago, the floorplan was extended by a third.

This Group Architects house in Belmont, Auckland, built in 1953 has undergone an extensive renovation in keeping with the Mid-century architecture. It was designed by architect owner Piers Kay of Fearon Hay.

The project won a Best Design Award last year, and has featured in several architecture magazines, including Here and Vogue Australia.

The renovation was carried out by Fearon Hay - the firm has detailed the project on its website.

As with other Group Architects homes, this one has a close connection with the outdoors, and a seamless flow between living areas.

And now it has come onto the market for the first time in 11 years, and is listed by MIchael Swarbrick of Harcourts Cooper & Co, who is a big fan of the architecture.

This house is one of a cluster built by Group Architects in the early 1950s.

Even the bedroom opens to a private courtyard.

“You really have to visit this property to appreciate it,” he says. “Even the smell of the house is great, with all the exposed wood. When you are inside, you could be anywhere in New Zealand. It’s very private.”

He also predicts a buyer could come from anywhere, “just because of what it is - this slice of history”. “It is a two-bedroom home, but the architecture puts it in a different league from other homes of that size on the Shore.”

And Swarbrick says it is the size that has led the owners to list the house - the growing family needs a bigger place.

The house is defined by meticulous attention to detail, both inside and out.

Parts of the bathroom are visible from other areas of the house as “part of the daily ritual on display”.

Listing agent Michael Swarbrick says the owners are only selling as they have a growing family and require more space.

The original home was crafted with a Japanese design influence, which has been retained in the renovation. Fearon Hay notes: “The renovation brings a restrained approach developing on the Mid-century aesthetic – focusing on careful material selection, form, and detail.

“The kitchen was designed with a ‘kitchen table’ as its centre in lieu of an island – an informal and relaxed way of creating the space that serves as a pivot between living, cooking and the more enclosed mudroom and open pantry.

From the front, the house doesn’t give much away. The landscaping is by Jared Lockhart.

“Small with a sense of space, refined yet relaxed – Skelton Studio House looks to seek what is possible when attention is paid to the details - working to transform the present and speak to the past.”

Other special features include ample natural light, a galley-style scullery, woodburner and spa-like bathroom.

“The bedroom is set down into the land – to maintain the sense of hierarchy with the original form (an important consideration when negotiating with heritage specialists at council), and to provide a sense of privacy and garden outlook from inside the space,” Fearon Hay notes.

“The bathroom is set inside the plan, allowing the glazed exterior walls, which would otherwise be concealed, to be visible day-to-day and parts of the bathroom to be observable from inside the house – stone, vanity, and bath as part of the daily ritual on display. Sliding ribbed glazed screens provide privacy and diffused light when needed.”

The garden, designed by Jared Lockhart, comprises a series of outdoor rooms with paved terraces and informal courtyards and native plants - there are no lawns to mow.

Swarbrick anticipates it will attract architecture aficionados, including professional couples, downsizers and small families.

The house, at 13 Bardia St, Belmont, Auckland, has an RV of $1.25 million, but Swarbrick says it is very difficult to value: “It is so, so different, you can’t compare it to any other two-bedroom house in the area.”

The property is scheduled for auction on October 10, 2024.