The bold refurbishment of an Edwardian character home on Dunedin’s Town Belt is a masterful example of old meeting new. This project has seen Gary Todd Architecture realise the vision of owners Heather and Ian Dyke.
We are not confined to a single moment of time, according to the B-theory of Time. Rather, the past, present, and future are all equally real.
As head of programme in the University of Otago’s Philosophy department, and a specialist in the philosophy of time, it's something that Professor Heather Dyke teaches.
Concepts of time are also a strong thread through her family’s Dunedin home.
On the edge of Dunedin’s Town Belt, the Edwardian home of Heather, husband Ian, and family has recently undergone a dramatic refurbishment.
A boldly contemporary addition has been coherently integrated with the deep character of the existing house. Designed by renowned architect Harry Mandeno in 1913, it has also had alterations to better suit the Dykes’ lifestyle.
This blending of old with new has created the perfect canvas for telling the story of their lives. It’s a narrative that progresses from a grand family manor house in England, to their home connected and reflecting the enchanting flora and fauna of the Town Belt.
Architect Gary Todd notes that the idea of the passage of time was a highly important driver of the design, which has transformed the Dykes’ brave vision into a reality.
“They’ve brought their memories and images of their ancestors with them from England to New Zealand, and they’ve housed them in the refurbished Mandeno spaces,” Todd says. “Then they’ve allowed me as the contemporary architect to create new spaces for them, which include their memories from New Zealand, and visiting places around our city and New Zealand.”
The idea of the ‘Fourth Dimension’ plays a dominant role in the completed project.
In the architectural lexicon, this is the place where buildings become dynamic and responsive, as opposed to static and immutable.
Californian architecture thought leader Samuvel Benhursha explained the concept in a 2024 article titled ‘Designing with Time: Architecture in the Fourth Dimension’.
“The aim is to explore the visionary realm of architecture, considering the interplay between time, space, and the technological advancements of our age,” Benhursha considered.
These elements are now all present and correct in the Dykes’ home. Post-refurbishment, the dwelling can morph to suit their needs with refreshing flexibility, while presenting an almost subliminal transition between the old and the new.
For Gary Todd, it’s the dynamicity of a property that now has a wonderful sense of connection between the people, the place, and the spaces that he most enjoys.
“It’s adaptable, and you can change it depending on your personality, the time of day, the season, the occasion, your taste, and your mood,” he says. “Why not have a dynamic space like this, in which people can live their lives more richly? You have a great variety of sensory and emotional experiences that you can’t get out of a static heritage building.”
The Dykes originally hail from England, where Heather completed her PhD at the University of Leeds.
They first arrived in New Zealand in 1998 when she began lecturing at the University of Otago.
Aging family saw them return to the UK after 15 years, where they lived in and looked after the 1730s manor house of Heather’s family in the southeastern county of Kent.
“I come from a family that has quite a long history in the UK,” she says. “It was a bit of a struggle to look after (the manor), and we were unable to, so it’s been sold now. We’ve come back here, but we were able to bring the images and memorabilia of our ancestors with us.”
The return to New Zealand came in 2019, whereupon the Dykes began looking for a character home that would tick all their boxes.
Among those that they looked at was the recently demolished Haynes House at 284 Stuart Street, designed by Edmund Anscombe.
While it didn’t meet their needs, there is some faint resonance in the home they eventually purchased.
Across the road from where Haynes House stood is King Edward Court. The building is the product of Dunedin architecture firm Mandeno and Fraser, also responsible for the Dunedin Town Hall.
It was a Mandeno bungalow built for D.E. Ivory in 1914 on the boundary of Roslyn and Maori Hill that the Dykes bought.
Facing east towards the Town Belt below, homes on the street originally promised spectacular harbour and city views when first marketed.
Those views have long since been obscured by Town Belt trees, but the serenity offered by the green space and its abundant birdlife offers more than just compensation.
The couple had stumbled upon the house while walking their dog. They were particularly struck by the outstanding Copper Beech tree in the front garden.
Planted when the house was built, it has protected status and was therefore a primary consideration for any refurbishment work at the property.
Ian Dyke has had a long-term interest in buildings and architecture.
His own home ultimately became a place where a lot of the ideas he’d been exposed to over the years could be expressed.
A contemporary addition to the house was always the plan. When first conceptualising the project, he created a comprehensive scrapbook of ideas that included an image of a reflective oblong structure.
“It was the picture I first gave Gary,” Ian recalls. “It was all about reflecting the Town Belt and the (Copper Beech) tree.”
That photo is dramatically echoed in the recent addition on the north aspect of the Dykes' home.
According to the architect’s statement, it is “designed as a contemporary light box, reflective by day of its surroundings, and revealing new flowing living spaces by night…”
With a well-defined concept, the Dykes spoke to their friend Darryl Sycamore - project manager at land surveying company Terramark.
“We wanted to preserve the beauty and value of the old house; we didn’t want to mimic it, we wanted to have something contrasting it,” Ian relates. “We described the idea to Darryl, and he said ‘there’s only one architect who can do this, and it’s Gary Todd’.”
That recommendation triggered conversations with the architect, whose practice has offices in Dunedin, Wanaka, and Christchurch.
A proponent of contemporary architecture, Todd’s work includes EBB-Dunedin hotel on Filleul Street, the Campus Wonderful building on Union Street, and many breathtaking residences throughout Dunedin and Central Otago.
Since launching his company in 1993, Todd has won over 100 design awards. They include the prestigious Sir Miles Warren Award for Commercial Architecture in 2022, for the EBB-Dunedin hotel.
Standing on the fringe of the Town Belt across the road from the Dykes' home, Todd explains the relationship between the elements of old and new.
“The (old home) is solid and stable, and will always be from that period,” he notes. “But the addition is for the present day and going forward. And so you get this passage of time in architecture. I want to celebrate the old and the new and the transition and connection between the two.”
Builder Mike Kapua was recommended by Todd for the construction work. The project took around 10 months to complete, ready just in time for Christmas 2025.
The Dykes had been able to keep living in their home while construction went on around them until it started getting too cold in July.
At that point they relocated to their daughter’s former student flat nearby, where the kitchen from the Mandeno house has now been installed.
Such attendant hassles are expected with a refurbishment, however the family largely enjoyed the process. They’re quick to praise Todd, Kapua, Sycamore, and others involved in the project.
The home’s lower level was extensively altered, with the upstairs rooms are untouched. A new Colorsteel roof creates a blended colour connection with the new addition cladding. It replaces old and leaky clay tiles and extends the existing home’s carbon lifecycle footprint - a welcome departure from the heritage demolition or neglect seen in recent times.
Alterations included the repurposing of an existing lounge, store, and bathroom to create an extensive bedroom suite for Heather and Ian.
That suite, on the southern side of the house, is now a large, warm space, with a well-appointed dressing room and ensuite. Its construction required cutting through thick brick walls, and steel seismic strengthening to meet building code requirements.
Beyond the bedroom is the altered foyer, featuring attractive new tiling, leading into a new multipurpose room that replaces a dining room, and the first of two separate living rooms in the existing home that have been repurposed.
This is the liminal section of the home, a place where old and new harmoniously meet.
It’s a beautiful family space for relaxing, and where some of the Dykes' large collection of photos, ancestral portraits, artworks, and other treasures are displayed.
That theme is continued in the flow through to the new dining area, where mid-century modern pieces and lighting have been given the appropriate room to sing about this era.
Adjoining the dining area on the western side is the second lounge that’s been altered. A quiet, private space, it’s a bit large to be classed as a snug. But it does offer a more intimate feeling when a full-height concealed cavity sliding door can close off the connecting living space to meet the family’s requirements.
“Edwardian buildings often have lots of small rooms, one dimensional in their connection with the outside, and very three-dimensional spaces,” Todd explains. “Contemporary architecture has that fourth dimension, it has evolving time and space. Ian and Heather were looking for open-plan spaces that they could shut down or open up, and have a greater connection to their exterior surrounding context than you could get from a traditional or Edwardian house design.”
Beyond the dining area the addition stretches towards the street frontage.
With underfloor heating, this is a comfortable and highly functional contemporary space, while feeling like a lucid extension of the existing home. Custom-made for hosting, it has already been the scene for some larger social gatherings, such as when Heather’s sister was visiting from the UK.
The expansive new kitchen provides ample space for many cooks, and has indeed accommodated messy bake-offs for the Dykes' children and their friends.
However when the mess needs to be hidden, there is a well-appointed pantry where coffee machines and other appliances reside.
Adjacent there’s the well-stocked new bar, which can be closed off when necessary. A retro theme has been adopted here, with two attractive mid-century arm chairs and circular side table, below beautiful drop lights by Dunedin’s Van Brandenburg.
The chairs and table were found at Forfar Road Gallery and Collectibles in Roxburgh, and stored at the Dykes' crib in that area until the house refurbishment was finished.
The front of the addition is a generous new office which can be closed off by a full-height cavity sliding door, “when Heather’s working and we are being too noisy,” Ian laughs.
Previously there was a mid-century double garage at the front of the property that was hard up to the street boundary footpath.
Now set back from the street, the downstairs of the new addition includes a garage with parking for two electric vehicles. There’s also a concealed workshop, and stairs lead up from this level to the new kitchen. Where the old garage was there is now parking with landscaped gardens for visitors.
“There’s this appreciation that we’ve given in terms of setback and space,” Todd considers. “And then there’s this opportunity to actually see the Copper Beach tree, the greenery of the Town Belt, and the sky reflected in the addition glass, where the glass can better tell a story of this home in its contextual surroundings.”
The new addition’s floor-to-ceiling glazing means there is an excellent axial vista of the surrounding greenery on offer, that connects the public realm and private realm if the owner chooses to. First impressions suggest that passers-by could peer in, but the reflections, elevation from the street, and motorised blinds all contribute to privacy.
Off the dining room at the rear garden there is a courtyard featuring outdoor dining and a hot tub, offering the family a very private outdoor living space to enjoy.
Although the mediocre summer just past didn’t allow them to fully enjoy the refurbished home, the Dykes are quickly learning to live in it.
“We’ve started using it much easier than I thought we would,” Ian reflects. “We transitioned into the space quite quickly.”
“With more flexible space you can sort of breathe and spread out,” Heather adds. “It felt a bit cramped in the existing house before.”
Concealed on the membrane roof of the new addition are photovoltaic solar panels.
This is just one of the sustainability measures included in the refurbishment. While the electricity generated by the panels was to provide 50% of the family’s requirement, it has so far been much higher, at 66% due to the enhanced quality of construction.
An entire year of data will be required to get an accurate measure. With two EVs in the new garage being charged from the solar, it’s a great outcome in terms of sustainability.
In recent times the conversation in Dunedin around the city’s built heritage and demolition by neglect or from development ignorance has been getting louder.
The Dykes' home is a standout example of a contemporary solution to preserving the past while embracing the present, and looking towards the future.
It’s a project that wouldn’t have been possible for the heritage listed manor house in Kent, Heather says.
“We couldn’t do anything; it was stuck in time,” she explains. “That just seemed wrong. This is a much more respectful way I think.”
Todd’s masterful blending of the old with the new has ushered the family into a rejuvenated home that will transform with their needs through time.
“This is a space to create new memories going forward,” the architect states.
“Heather and Ian brought their culture with them. So there’s something special about this project. Something cultural, something emotional, and something social about these spaces, and this passage of time telling the story of their lives, of people they meet, of places they visited, and the enhanced experiences that lift our human spirit.”
