What do architects do when they’re let loose on their own homes? Experiment, that’s what – try things they might not get to do otherwise. For our second Auckland Open Home of the year with Dulux, we’re dropping by two very different projects.

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First off, we have Lightly Weighted by Elmore Booth – the home of architects Libby Elmore and Oli Booth. Built on a steep, south-facing site, the house is conceived as an interplay between light and shadow, open and weighted. Burrowed into the slope over two levels, the house pushes up against the boundary to create a garden at its centre. A fluted concrete façade creates a protective shell for an open, airy interior: spaces are small but beautifully detailed.

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Nearby, Tim Dorrington and Emma-Jane Hetherington have lived in their Westmere bungalow for almost two decades. Built on a busy road, with everything in the wrong place, they’ve slowly transformed it through several iterations – firstly maximising sun and views by rearranging the original layout; more recently by extending upwards with a modernist box to create a primary bedroom and roof deck.

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Though very different, neither house offers a straightforward solution, creating dynamic, downright interesting homes in the process. We look forward to seeing you there.

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What:

Lightly Weighted by Elmore Booth

West End Road by Dorrington Atcheson Architects

Where:

Grey Lynn and Westmere, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

When:

Saturday 1 November, 2025; sessions from 9.30am

Tickets:

$30 (limited numbers!)

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