Architecturally Designed Home in Petone – Structural Engineering Design

Full structural engineering services were provided for this architecturally designed single-storey residence in Petone, Lower Hutt.

Designed in collaboration with CGA Architects, the home features expansive open-plan living and dining areas with high ceilings, requiring carefully integrated structural solutions to achieve clean architectural form while maintaining strength and performance.

Given the known liquefaction risk in parts of Petone, the foundation system incorporates driven timber piles beneath a reinforced concrete raft slab. This combined system enhances ground performance, improves load transfer, and mitigates potential settlement during seismic events. This is a critical consideration for residential construction in the Hutt Valley.

The large open-plan living and dining areas are supported by braced steel portal frames, allowing generous clear spans while maintaining compliance with New Zealand Building Code seismic requirements. Standard timber wall bracing systems were incorporated throughout the remaining structure to provide balanced lateral resistance and overall building stability.

This project highlights Kotare Designs’ expertise in delivering resilient, code-compliant structural engineering solutions for architecturally designed homes in Petone and across the Hutt Valley, with a strong focus on seismic performance and ground risk mitigation.

Project Team

Architect – Cosgrove Goodwin Architects