Architect John Irving is well known for his work at Te Arai and Tara Iti — architecture deftly defined by proportion, sculpture, and light. His homes in this revered coastal region share an understanding of place: open to the sea air and defined by a sense of understated luxury.

A game of attractive opposites: Georgian and modernist, feminine and masculine, barn and villa — this elegant home by Ponting Fitzgerald Architects finds a sweet balance in its inherent tension.

A measured expansion and renovation by Studio John Irving Architects has lent theatricality, elegance, and soul to a tired villa on Auckland’s North Shore.