The concept of the courtyard house reinterprets the suburban ideal of a detached house sitting in the middle of a plot. These dwellings challenge the conventional and are an exciting option for lifestylers.
This development of thirteen courtyard houses makes up part of the redevelopment of surplus defence land known as Fort Dorset in Wellington’s Seatoun and includes a new primary school for the suburb.
The courtyard houses are surrounded by a number of detached and semi-detached houses that are stand-alone developments.
The development master plan was created to provide a complete design response for the site using both architecture and landscape architecture disciplines. The courtyard development was comprehensively designed for the centre of the site to provide a catalyst for the stand alone development of surrounding detached and semi-detached houses.
The interconnecting building shapes of the courtyard development alternate between single and two storey buildings that shape and shelter private courtyards. The houses, their garden walls and planting provide a staggered edge that adds character to the surrounding public lanes.
The project won a supreme NZIA local award in 2006.