House renovation in Wellington New Zealand. A dark, narrow Thorndon cottage was in serious need of a renovation. A sun-catcher extension injected light into the living space, a dining area provided some much needed breathing room, and a back-garden courtyard extended dining and living into the garden.

The design response was to restore and upgrade the existing 4.5m wide villa in keeping with its original character, alongside adding a modern single-story sun-catcher addition to the back that respected and reinterpreted the traditional materials, forms and scale of the villa.The generous stud is extended and timber craftsmanship celebrated. Skylights and over sized sliding doors improve natural daylight within the house, and the extension contributes to the space for the new kitchen as well as an additional dining area. The outside courtyard provides sunny outdoor seating and borrowed volume that enables the interior spaces to feel larger.