Christchurch Modern » 70s

London N6. Tile Kiln Studios. Peter Beaven.

admin — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 07:48:50 +0000

Peter Beaven was never conventional: in 1975, aged 50, he disbanded his successful Christchurch practice, packed a suitcase and moved to London where he worked alone from a bedsit. During that time he designed these six houses in the Christchurch Style, evolving ideas he developed a decade earlier in Christchurch’s Tonbridge Mews and Wellington’s Habitat Housing. Bravo.

Tile Kiln Studios was featured in the Cement & Concrete Association’s magazine in 1982. It wrote:

“One of the points that the New Zealand architect Peter Beaven has made so well in this group of studio houses in Highgate is how effectively white-painted blockwork can achieve a sharp and satisfying clarity of modelling. The white blockwork, repeated inside and out, is built up into a series of intersecting vertical planes capped by gables and variously pitched roofs… The effect – appropriate enough for studio houses – approaches an abstract composition of black and white sculpture. This is obviously a technique that the architect fully understands: he has used it before in New Zealand, notably in the Chateau Commodore Hotel and the 1974 Commonwealth Games Stadia, both in Christchurch. It is an attractive architectural medium and one that fits many contexts in Britain.

“There are, of course, other interesting ideas behind this housing as well. It is… a co-operative venture built by six people who bought the plots in the approved scheme and worked on the finishing themselves. Not the least interesting aspect is the architect himself. Peter Beaven is an individualist with a sense of humour and perspective. He must be, otherwise how could he have made the break with his own country New Zealand, where he was one of the best-known architects in South Island, together with Miles Warren with whom he was a student. This housing scheme in Highgate… would seem to be a reflection of a strongly held personal ideology, rather than of conformity to any fashionable mainstream of architectural thought. The simplicity and clarity of form displayed in these studio houses no doubt reflects to some extent the architect’s preferred lifestyle. The gables, variously pitched roofs and strong vertical rhythms are very much in the grain of local domestic building, although the site is in fact one of those where no special architectural character was dictated.”

68B Creyke Rd. Prof. Kerr House. Warren & Mahoney.

admin — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 01:46:55 +0000

This particular house is noteworthy more for it’s owner than architect. Professor Roy Kerr commissioned this house after returning to New Zealand in 1972. Kerr is a super-scientist, recipient of the Rutherford Medal and the subject of the semi-biographical book Cracking the Einstein Code. That aside, he had a pretty sweet house that’s subsequently been furnished like a cheap motel.

46 Wroxton Tce. Don Cowey.

admin — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 08:09:12 +0000

Interesting to see Don’s take on the ‘Big Fendalton House’ – there are so many today the suburb has ate itself. Instead of the exposed blocks and concrete of W&M we get more modest proportions and softer, cedar cladding. Minor updates and alterations since 1971 have added to the charm of what is still a very nice, modern manor.

155 Ashgrove Tce. Architect Unknown.

admin — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:23:00 +0000

Rover parking only in this 1970s mix of Japanese, Scandinavian and Christchurch influences on the Cashmere flats. And if you want a chimney that laughs in the face of earthquakes, here’s your guy.

105 Panorama Rd. Don Donnithorne.

admin — Sun, 30 May 2010 03:24:26 +0000

Despite some over-zealous painting, there’s no mistaking the modernist lines of this Don D. ‘Hollywood Hills’ pad. Those extended concrete roof beams are visible from the moon and the views over the ocean and alps are epic.

29 Parklands Dr. James Hanna (Group Planners).

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:55:26 +0000

Arguably the city’s craziest house, a stray shuttlecock, dropped from the sky amidst a street of brick and tile sameness. The level changes are many and it’s a fair assumption that the same architect(s) had a hand in the nearby St Martins Adventist church which displays similar Corbusian flair.

The church on nearby Riverlaw Tce.

104 Rossall St. John Brown Flats. Warren & Mahoney.

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:49:19 +0000

Dean sent in these pics of his new flat. A late 60s design in classic early W&M style: concrete block with rimu and meranti timber detailing. Dean has done a nice job inside and needs to club the body corporate like baby seals until they return the exterior to crisp white.

The copy of Sir Miles’ book on the coffee table is noted.

119 River Rd. H F Redmond House. Peter Beaven.

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:08:10 +0000

Strange. Is this is a house, temple or the Albanian Embassy? Peter’s designs often defy categorisation and sometimes, it is what it is: Pagoda entrance, stone columns, textured cinder bricks & full-length water feature. Fullstop.

14 Highbank Lne. Neil Hey.

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:42:29 +0000

A particularly smart 1970s example of the Christchurch style from a former W&M architect: exposed concrete block walls, steep tongue and groove pitched ceilings and a tall, rigid chimney giving an assertive finger to the imminent ban on open fire places in Christchurch.

38 Stratford St. Mace House. Griffiths, Moffat & Partners.

admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:07:24 +0000

Frank Lloyd Wright meets Brady Bunch House ranch modernism in 1970s Fendalton. The ultra low pitched roof looks sweet in combination with the well-chosen sandstone, dark timber and super-clean brickwork. Nice job.