Small sites and close neighbours are pretty standard in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, right? Less common are responses that manage to make spaces feel bigger, and more dynamic, than they really are.  

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Winner of our Small House category at the 2024 Here Awards, Walker Box is the result of years of hard yakka by its architect owner, Micah Rickards. Micah bought the tiny plot from friends, who own the house behind, then set about building a three-storey concrete-block tower, undertaking much of the finishing with his father. With influences too numerous to mention, it’s a strikingly singular building. It features intriguing spaces and a play between solid and void that is particularly enjoyable when you’re in it.

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Nearby in Mount Victoria is Moir Street House by Anne Kelly and Karl Watanabe of a.k.a Architecture, set to feature in an upcoming issue of this magazine. The renovation of a tiny and idiosyncratic cottage involved refitting the original house and adding a long extension with a sawtooth roofline, a twist on the existing double gables. Built from brick and corrugate, the house features top lights and skylights that bring in all-day sun. Volumes lift and fall above you, as the house steps gently down the slope.

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Don’t delay – and be sure to check out the full programme for 2025! We can’t wait to see you there.

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OPEN HOME

Walker Box by Micah Architecture; Moir Street House by a.k.a Architecture

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Where:

Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington

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When:

Saturday 15 March, 2025; sessions from 9.30am

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Tickets:

$25 (limited numbers!)

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