Church hall to heavenly space

For 70 years it was a Sunday School hall, now it’s an award-winning home incorporating a glasshouse and guest studio.

For her dream home, architect and designer Tessa Kingsbury kept the original barrel shape of the hall but renovated it using mostly iron and glass, with fully-glazed walls providing views and access to the glasshouse. The Dunedin house, which featured on Season 8 of Grand Designs New Zealand, has this week been named Winner of the 2026 Biophilic Design Awards in the Interiors and Renovations category. Image: TVNZ 1 / Stuff