Part of the farbric of Howick
for over 130 years
Windross House in Cockle Bay Reserve, is one of several heritage buildings in the property portfolio that Eke Panuku manages on behalf of Auckland Council. As custodians of these buildings, it is our responsibility to ensure they are well maintained for future generations of Aucklanders.
In addition to maintaining heritage buildings, we also manage commercial leases for them. This generates income for council, reducing the burden on ratepayers and ensuring council can fund its strategic priorities. This way, we can ensure these buildings are maintained, but also remain functional and relevant in their communities, while helping protect community services.
Auckland Council lists Windross House as a Category B historic heritage place, meaning it has considerable significance to a locality or greater geographic area. The building, a substantial one and a half storey gabled house built from kauri, is an early surviving house from the Victorian-Edwardian period. It has large 20-light sash windows (i.e. 20 panels of glass). Interestingly, the exteriors of Category B buildings are considered significant and should be protected, while the interior is not.
Routine inspections of the property revealed that the exterior of the building was deteriorating, so to protect this heritage asset, we renewed several aspects. The work included replacing the deck, balustrade, a set of stairs up to the deck, a rotten window and repainting the entire exterior, using paint colours approved by Auckland Council’s heritage unit to preserve its exterior appearance.