Maskell Residences is a collection of four standalone homes located in the coastal suburb of St Heliers, Auckland. The project explores a mode of urban light living, where architectural clarity meets the rhythms of everyday life.

Designed in response to the calm and elegance of its seaside context, the architecture adopts clean geometric forms, restrained colour tones, and carefully layered light and shadow. Each dwelling is a compact yet generous four-bedroom home of over 160 sqm, incorporating a single garage and 2.5 bathrooms, offering an efficient balance between comfort and scale.

The architectural language is defined by a contrast of light and weight. Façades combine vertically oriented James Hardie Oblique fibre cement panels with light grey brickwork, grounding the buildings within the established streetscape while introducing a contemporary vertical rhythm. White projecting window shrouds with angled returns articulate the elevations and draw daylight deep into the interiors, while cedar timber detailing at entry points softens the composition with warmth.

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For Units 2–4, the main bedroom features a layered vertical louvre system: a light-toned external screen paired with an inner layer of curved metal panels. From the street, the overlapping layers create visual depth; from closer viewpoints, the façade resolves into a calm, ordered vertical expression, with subtle reflections revealing movement within stillness. Stepped building volumes further enhance this rhythm, allowing the row of homes to breathe while maintaining cohesion.

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Internally, layouts are organised along a clear central axis. Open-plan living, dining, and kitchen spaces connect seamlessly to private rear decks and gardens, while bedrooms are arranged on the upper level, anchored by a generous master suite. Outdoor areas are intentionally low-maintenance, designed to be just enough—private, usable, and effortless.

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At Maskell Residences, simplicity is not reduction, but precision—where design sensitivity supports an easy, enduring way of living.