Grand Designs: New Zealand on ABC – After living in over 15 different countries around the world, architect Tessa Kingsbury has decided it’s finally time to put down some permanent roots. And it’s the city of Dunedin that’s stolen her heart, having fallen for not only the architecture – but also the lifestyle.
Tessa has a passion for plants and her dream is to build a house around a glasshouse, merging them seamlessly into one. Her first challenge was finding the right site and so, struggling to find anything within her budget, when one of her colleagues sent her a link to a Sunday school hall that was for sale behind a church in the suburb of Anderson’s Bay, she leapt at it.
And now she’s the owner of a 70-year-old Nissen Hut with 27 leaks and a whole host of rats.
Tessa plans to keep the hall’s original shape, sandwiching the glasshouse between two accommodation ends. One end will be studio guest accommodation with the kitchen and bathroom on one level and bedroom on the mezzanine. Floor to ceiling framing – including a mosaic of glass panels – will separate the studio from the glasshouse.
In the glasshouse itself, Tessa is planning one big tree, several ferns, raised beds and concrete paving to create a lush and spacious green room.
Tessa’s own residence will also feature a mosaic of glass panels with views to the glasshouse and, at a total of 47 square metres, space will be at a premium.
With a budget of around $NZ600,000 and about to embrace some unorthodox concepts that fly in the face of standard pragmatic architecture, just how deep will Tessa have to dig to overcome the challenges that her unique choice will inevitably throw at her?
Production credit: Hosted by Tom Webster. Based on the format “Grand Designs” devised by Talkback Thames, a FremantleMedia company.
Grand Designs: New Zealand on ABC and ABC iview – Thursday 14 March, 2024 at 8:30pm
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