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.
…continue reading 46 Wroxton Tce. Don Cowey.
On the flat, the W&M roofs were steep and the chimneys monumentally tall. Here on the hillside, this 1965 house is low, boxy and clad in timber. The full width concrete balustrade is pretty tasty and a nice link to W&Ms more brutalist, commercial work..
…continue reading 17 Michael Ave. Langley House. Warren & Mahoney.
A well hidden gem up on the Cashmere hills designed for a Lincoln University Professor and his wife. It’s a killer house and unusual for Christchurch with it’s extensive use of glass and steel influenced by the American Case Study Houses. Excellent stuff.
…continue reading 843 Cashmere Rd. Walker House. Cowey & McGregor.
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.
The story goes that Mrs Thomson participated in a ‘House and Garden’ course in 1966. One of the speakers was a young Miles Warren who made quite an impression and two years later designed this ‘English cottage’ for the young couple. Inside it’s by far the best preserved of the 1960s W&M houses and features pyramidal timber ceilings; split level living and a great fairface concrete fireplace. The nice garage studio was later added by David Brocherie.
…continue reading 5 Karitane Pl. Thomson House. Warren & Mahoney.
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.
The crappy photos don’t do this house justice. Currently occupied by the University of Canterbury’s ‘Publications Team’, this former home seems remarkably intact. Inside, the fittings and layout are all there and the living, dining and bedrooms simply occupied by regulation office furniture. It wouldn’t take much to return it to what it should be.
…continue reading 118 Ilam Rd. Holdsworth House. Charles Thomas.
Original, unmolested modernist homes of the 1940s are pretty hard to come by in Christchurch which makes this Stewart Minson design a real find. The combination of the L-shape, flat-roof, weatherboard, and flagstone are a fine mix and the way the roofline steps down the slope is super sharp.
…continue reading 71 Te Awakura Tce. Stewart Minson.
This original 60s house, designed by architect Joseph Moffat for his retirement, is hidden behind a solid concrete block wall and arranged around a swimming pool. The North facing full-height sliding glass wall of the living area is a sweet design touch and the type of feature that gave birth to the nauseating term ‘indoor-outdoor flow’.
…continue reading 56 Greers Rd. Moffat House. Grifiths, Moffat & Partners.
If we had a dollar for every ugly aluminium conservatory / sun room added to a Christchurch Modern home we’d have at least $64. The house is guilty – $65 - but the original unpainted concrete blockwork outside and stunning timber detailing inside leaves all forgiven. The fireplace in the living room is a behemoth and a thing of beauty.
…continue reading 29 Cannon Hill Cr. Minson, Henning Hansen.
