RESIDENTIAL

Many New Zealand homeowners are looking to their own backyards to unlock more value from their land, but few do it with the technical rigour seen in this Lyall Bay project. For clients Rukus and Letia, owners of a classic 1930s bungalow, the goal was to transform an underutilised backyard into a high-performance sanctuary.

By prioritising the building envelope, focusing on airtightness, moisture management, and superior insulation, they have created a secondary residence that not only meets but also exceeds modern standards, proving that smart backyard innovation can deliver premium comfort and significant long-term savings.

To make use of underutilised space, a second dwelling was constructed on site, with careful attention to airtightness, moisture management, and insulation, ensuring excellent energy efficiency. It's a three-bedroom with an open-plan lounge, kitchen/dining, and an underutilised backyard.

The brief was to build a second residence in the backyard of the original 520m² site, with access along the side of the front house and a new dual-car pad off the street. The brief included an L-shape layout with two bedrooms, an ensuite and a second bathroom, a generous living space, and an outdoor shower (surfing at Lyall Bay means a couple of minutes’ walk home).

"No maintenance" landscaping and carefully positioned screening create a slice of Bali with privacy.

Access is future-proofed for level threshold access if required; all access steps can easily be converted to ramps, and the 810mm interior door is the narrowest. The build results in 47.8% site coverage, including both residences, shed, and garage; it is within the scope of current standards and doesn’t require resource consent. The clients will only subdivide if they decide to sell one of the residences, as the rates are cheaper combined.

The design evolved into a more square footprint, featuring a second bedroom that opens into the living area, offering flexibility to extend the living area, accommodate guests, or utilise as home office space. The living area in the new house has a very spacious feel, helped by the pitched skillion roof, 3.2m in height, and the 2.75m-high sliding door, which affords views of the hills beyond from deep within the living space.

The kitchen joinery finishes below the ceiling, creating the impression of greater depth. Windows on the boundary wall would require a fire rating, so the decision was for no windows on these walls, allowing a generous wall area for art, TV placement, etc.

pro clima INTELLO^® internal airtightness and moisture management system works well with the architectural negative detail plywood ceiling and recessed downlights. INTELLO^® PLUS served as the "bib" for Jet Stream Max blown-in insulation, and the client (a firefighter) was able to QA the installation with a thermal camera.

Interestingly, the insulation spec for this 2020 build exceeds the current H1 Schedule requirements and is approximately $100 per month cheaper on power than the front house, which is a healthy-home-certified rental.

The success of this build is best measured by its daily impact. Beyond the architectural beauty of the plywood ceilings and the "Bali-style" privacy, the performance data is striking. Despite being built in 2020, the insulation spec already exceeds current H1 Schedule requirements, making the home approximately $100 per month cheaper to power than the healthy-home certified front house.

This project is a testament to the fact that when you invest in the right internal systems, you create a legacy of comfort and financial returns. If you’re planning a secondary dwelling and want to ensure it performs at this level, our technical team is here to help you navigate the process. Let’s build better, together.