This project sensitively transforms a deconsecrated 1908 Presbyterian church into a cherished family holiday bolthole, aligning with both the client’s values and the local community’s cultural memory. The client sought a regenerative, low-carbon adaptive reuse that retained the original fabric and spatial essence of the church, while introducing only the most necessary interventions.
Rooted in a “lightest touch” philosophy, the design reflects a commitment to environmental responsibility through careful material reuse, passive ventilation, and low-impact structural additions.

Socially and culturally, the project honours the church’s historical significance within the Wainui community, preserving it as a landmark of collective memory while allowing it to serve a new, meaningful function.
The result is a home that embodies innovation through restraint – delivering storytelling, environmental care and a respectful dialogue between old and new.

Photography: Ian Hutchinson