Our clients, locals to the Hayes Paddock area, acquired an empty, worn down space with the desire to rebirth it into a bustling & unpretentious eatery. They wanted the eatery to reflect the history of the Hayes paddock area, which was founded on socialist policy ‘that a quality housing / environment should be a common goal for all New Zealanders’. Hayes Common taps into the notion of these values, and as a result is a space that all neighbours and visitors a like feel welcome. Come one, come all. The surrounding houses were a great source of inspiration. No two houses are the same — designed as basic models but then individualised. Their materials, colours, patterns, and textures look different but ‘visually harmonious’. The wonderful terracotta’s, muted blues & greens influenced our colour palette. Smokey green tiles form a dado inside, mimicking the base line of all the houses in the area. The exterior olive green facade is pierced with a bright heritage orange, reflected internally through the branding and coffee machine. The interior palette is raw, exposing original historic structure while adding timber, steel and earthly hues. The new space needed to translate well from day to night, forming a cohesive interior. A large section of internal brick wall was removed to marry two original spaces. The addition of the structural steel has been left exposed as part of the narrative. At one end sits the kitchen and coffee hub, which was reconfigured to intelligently hide circulation space to the kitchen without disrupting the aesthetic and atmosphere. The bar at the other end is adorned with gridded 3D timber tiles, which reflect the shingle patterns on the neighboring houses. The bar is enclosed a steel crittall and polycarbonate screen, mimicking the patterned glass door panels found in the area. The furniture and lighting were carefully selected to reflect the era with bespoke tables and leaners made from vintage French timber. Chairs are a mixture of mid century originals also from France, and new folding timber frames – much like those found in a post war mess hall.