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One of these is not like the others: Aro Valley stand-out
An architecturally-designed Aro Valley, Wellington home stands out amongst the distinctive, character houses.
Tall, skinny villas line the streets in Aro Valley, Wellington. With their distinctive, heritage character and courtyard gardens, they offer an enviable, inner-city lifestyle.
But not every villa lasts the distance. Enter the new build. Designed by multi award-winning architects Spacecraft Architects (Caroline Robertson and Tim Gittos), this three-storey house on a 40m² footprint retains the form and proportions of the original Victorian villa on the site, which was destroyed by fire in 1974.
But the house, completed three years ago and now listed for sale, adds so much more - a fully insulated, double-glazed, contemporary living environment with every modern convenience. As the architects put it: “On the street facade, the new build responds to the strong heritage character, but in a contemporary way - whilst the rear is unabashedly modern.”
Ceilings throughout the house are birch ply, as is the cabinetry.
Owner James Dickson says he bought the neighbouring house in 2014 and it came with this empty section - he could see the potential for infill housing. “The council had bought the site some time after the fire, probably to clear away rubble. They planted some trees and turned it into a neighbourhood reserve.”
Dickson says the council then sold it in 1986, and the owners of the house next door were the lucky buyers; the two lots were combined. “They created a garden here. There were lots of winding brick paths and brick borders, probably all from the old chimneys of the original house. The original chimney pots are now part of the landscaping.”
The house featured on the cover of Here magazine - it has a similar roofline to the original; there is an atrium that lets light flow right down through the house.
Flashback: These photos of the Aro St house were taken after the fire in 1974. The teenagers pictured are named in The Dominion as Gus Beckham and Heidi Williams (rear), with Soloman Rei and Margaret Coomber in front.
He has discovered that the original house, the one next door and two at the back were all built by the same builder between 1890 and 1896. And he has unearthed a 1974 news photo of four teenage flatmates outside their burned out home.
Dickson says he chose Spacecraft Architects after seeing a build they designed for a tricky site in Miramar. “I thought they would be the right people for a tight site in the city. And they were great, really innovative and flexible. They created a facade to complement the historic houses, but round the back, it’s an entire wall of glass.”
The kitchen opens up to the courtyard, which can also be reached down the side of the house, making it easy to store bikes in a shed at the back.
Underfloor heating is provided beneath the concrete slab in ground-floor rooms. The living room is at the front of the house.
The architects came up with the perfect solution to bring light into the middle of a house with tall buildings either side: “A three-storey atrium lets light deep into the centre of the house, and accommodates the internal stair as it winds up the building.”
Their design packs a lot into 123m², providing three or four bedrooms - a large office with a built-in macrocarpa desk could double as a media room or fourth bedroom.
Natural timbers feature extensively throughout the interior. There are birch ply ceilings, and matching timber veneer kitchen cabinetry, and Tasmanian oak floors on the upper levels. The ground floor is polished concrete with underfloor heating.
Light floods this bedroom at the rear. Bedrooms on each of the top levels are separated by the central atrium.
There are “treetop” balconies off the north-facing bedrooms on the two upper levels.
On the north-facing rear of the house there are “treetop” balconies from two bedrooms overlooking a landscaped courtyard for alfresco living. And the kitchen-dining area opens up to the outdoors.
Most houses along here don’t have off-street parking, but there is a shed out the back (with power) that’s ideal for bike storage.
Harriet Culy of Lowe & Co, who shares the listing with Tom Culy, says buyer interest in the one week it has been listed has been considerable. The property has already had more than 4700 hits on Trade Me Property and 40 groups have been through.
Bespoke lighting is another key feature of the house.
This room has a built-in macrocarpa desk, but could also be a fourth bedroom.
“A lot of people are looking because they are interested in the architecture, but we have definitely got some strong interest from bona fide buyers.”
Aro Valley has a vibrant community vibe, with popular neighbourhood cafés and businesses, including a bakery and craft brewery. It is near the Waimapihi/Polhill Reserve that features mountain biking trails. In its early years it was home to many of the watersiders working on the Wellington wharves.
The house is “a mere stone’s throw from the city to downtown and the waterfront”.
There's a bathroom and separate toilet room on each of the upper floors, which have similar layouts.
The property, at 108 Aro St, Aro Valley, Wellington is for sale by tender, with a closing date of October 2, 2025. The agents are inviting buyer enquiry over $1.295 million. See more of the property on Trade Me Property.
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