Deceptively simple from the road, but closer inspection reveals a lovely intersection of lines and detail. The home sits elevated above the road, enjoying views to the alps, and is topped by a squat, chunky chimney design. Beautiful in its understatement.

…continue reading 126 Centaurus Rd. Don Cowey.

A Home & Building award winner in 1947 and pleasingly intact. Houses like this are disappearing faster than you can say “recessed halogen downlights”.

…continue reading 24 Whitewash Head Rd. Stewart Minson.

Fantastic block of bunker-like flats, 8 in total, that show some lovely design detail including the low, open fireplace that sits offcentre below the window sill. Glass panes sit either side.

…continue reading 44 Puriri St. Architect Unknown.

From the good people at Home & Building magazine: “This house has an area of 1500sq. ft including the double garage. The floor is concrete slab on the ground with timber framed brick veneer walls. The ceilings arw eplaster ansd softboard with a corrugated galvanised iron roof. The house was fiished in 1962 at a cost of 4500 pounds”.

…continue reading 32 Greers Rd. Powell House. Don Donnithorne.

This home was built in 1983 and is a rare example of a Roger Walker home in Christchurch. Extensive use of lattice, curves and colour mark it as a home of its time and a great example of Walker’s unmistakable style.

…continue reading 2 Rhodesvale Tce. Millar House. Roger Walker.

Difficult to capture from the street, this beautiful concrete block home steps down the slope using rectilinear ‘pods’ and features Nicholas’ signature protruding oriel windows, a device he used on the Dorset Towers. This was the largest new home Nicholas designed – built at coast of $50,000 – and the first one after leaving Warren & Mahoney. It’s been changed and added to over the years (not well), but remains distinctive.

…continue reading 6 Amherst Pl. Roper House. Nicholas Kennedy.

Another 1960s gem from the pencil of Don Cowey that demonstrates his skill and versatility as a designer. The home appears flat-roofed at a glance, but the steep pitch of the central living room roof and red brick chimney add vertical presence.

…continue reading 219 Memorial Ave. Cowey and McGregor.

The street elevation of this home is eye-catching with it’s vertical slit window and graphic detail that extends from the ground to the roof. A curved roof covers the garage and entrance way and overall the look is quite ecclesiastical.

…continue reading 9 Farnham Pl. Architect Unknown.

Two townhouses designed by the renowned Wellington architect who helped push New Zealand architecture in a new direction during the 1970s. Walker’s style was idiosyncratic and original and recognisable for his use of round windows, “it’s more natural for the human eye to look at a circle”, he says. Designed by David Allen, a contemporary of Walker.

…continue reading 78 Memorial Ave. David Allen.