New lease of life

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Architect James Thomas Douce embraced concrete as a building material in the 1920s creating a number of iconic Cambridge houses including this American-styled bungalow that, after 100 years, needed a new lease of life. Working from the top down, GD Pringle Building removed the leaking concrete tiles from the roof, added some much-needed insulation and a new longrun iron roof. Also bringing things up to healthy home standards, double glazing was retro-fitted throughout. Doors that look as if they have always been there, actually have. They were salvaged and re-purposed for the front and back entrances and for the living area. Recycled stained-glass windows, including one that the client had removed from their previous house, were used in the new upstairs bathroom.

Internal spaces that needed to be opened up for modern living required extensive engineering to support the concrete structure and the new layout is worth every penny. Back and front entrance porches step into a reception room that has become the family living room, flowing to a second lounge on one side, dining and kitchen on the other. Doors open from here to a new covered outdoor living area with adjacent patio opening from the sunroom. Where there was previously no outdoor flow, there is now an abundance.

NATIONAL AWARDS WON

National Category Winner

Top 100

REGIONAL AWARDS WON

Regional Supreme Renovation of the Year

Regional Category Winner

Regional Gold

REGION & CATEGORY:

Waikato Competition
Mitre 10 Trade Renovation $500,000 - $1 million