Underneath the pergola, rooftop solar panels and various TV aerials might just be a very nicely designed home sitting up on top of Mount Pleasant. It would be interesting to see it without the ‘flair’, but it feels much like the work of Minson, Henning Hansen.

…continue reading 297 Cannon Hill Cr. Architect Unknown.

Great weather over the weekend, perfect for peeking over fences and spotting this T-shape beauty up on the Cashmere Hills. The solid garage door doesn’t feel right, but it’s a remarkably intact, well cared for original home.

…continue reading 9 Cracroft Tce. Poore House. Minson, Henning-Hansen.

Here’s a story we like. Diedre read about the Maling House and noticed the design similarities to her own modernist home. After contacting a number of people around town she found architect Simon Pascoe, son of Paul, who was able to confirm her house was indeed a Pascoe & Hall design, drawn by Humphrey Hall around 1950. Sadly Diedre has to move on, but the good news for Modern lovers – it’s for sale.

Houses like this very early S’Miles design are an interesting case. A large L-shaped addition and some silly alterations have it poised precariously awaiting either restoration or obliteration. It would have originally been a beautifully proportioned, small house, but are there people willing to spend the time and money to restore the building to the way it should be? Please raise your hands.

…continue reading 19 Cannon Hill Cr. J R Tye House. Warren & Mahoney.

In the 1940s modernist architects like Pascoe & Hall and Stewart Minson were designing modest, flat-roofed homes in the unornamented International Style, but Heathcote Helmore was well known for his grand country manors. Clearly not oblivious to the new movement, he popped out this stunning little home on a hill – looks nicely original too.

…continue reading 45 Te Awakura Tce. Helmore & Cotterill.

Originally set on a half-acre block with orchard trees, the home has a northerly aspect and is constructed of red brick and pine boards. It’s nice the way the big fireplace and chimney punch through the Western wall. Good stuff, Don.

…continue reading 53a Garreg Rd. E F Flood House. Don Donnithorne.

Overlooking the Ferrymead Bridge and set on a steep site, this pleasingly original weatherboard home is an unusual parallelogram shape to fit the precipitous platform on which it snugly perches. It’s green paint and brown cedar cladding camouflage the home well against the hillside.

…continue reading 2 Ferrymead Tce. Kiddey House. Stewart Minson.

A little out of town, in Timaru, but an important house in Christchurch architecture being Warren & Mahoney’s very first. Miles reminisces in a recent interview with John Walsh in NZ Architecture…

…continue reading 94 Mountain View Rd. Raymond House. Warren & Mahoney.

Designed in 1951, this small 80 sq/m 2-bedroom house was commissioned by two elderly spinster sisters from Sumner. A surprising design solution for two women born in the late 19th century. For reasons unknown the sisters sold the house 4 years later and moved back to Sumner.

…continue reading 7 James St. Stewart Minson.

Another Mervyn Seal influenced home with the distinctive butterfly roof and geometric wall of windows. This one has been recently ‘modernised’, but the striking original form is unmistakable.

…continue reading 50 Valley Rd. Architect Unknown.

Built in 1960 to a brief for “lots of light”, this house delivers with large, square windows punched through the red brick walls and dormer skylights inside. The house was very modern for suburban Christchurch in its day and was one of the first homes in the city with electric underfloor heating, back when electricity was free.

…continue reading 16 Westburn Tce. Barton House. John Trengrove.

Two fat ladies – Wobbly wobbly.

Hooray for Super Graphics.

This house was designed by Bruce during a brief period he practised on his own after leaving Warren & Mahoney in mid 60s. He left NZ for the UK in 1970.