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.
Aside from an unfortunate 20-year love affair with red brick, Don seemed to prefer timber for his houses, but he did occasionally build in concrete block and the results were almost always good. The wide, low pitched roof was popular with architects at the time, but the crows nest bedroom and chunky chimney set this house apart.
…continue reading 8 Sulby Rd. Don Donnithorne.
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.
…continue reading 104 Rossall St. John Brown Flats. Warren & Mahoney.
A tip-off and little bit of self-promotion from Rebecca who is selling her 1964 home and would love for it to go to a fellow enthusiast. The weatherboard exterior, large windows and low-pitched roof is more reminiscent of Auckland’s Group Architects, but the exposed internal concrete blockwork is pure Christchurch.
…continue reading 18 Cannon Hill Cr. Griffiths, Moffat & Partners.
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.
…continue reading 119 River Rd. H F Redmond House. Peter Beaven.
A 1967 home designed by Keith Anderson, one of the ‘young guns’ of post-war Christchurch architecture and a lesser known contemporary of Warren, Beaven, Cowey, Donnithorne et al.
Not a complete honey, with some little additions obscuring the original design, but the clever use of sliding doors inside and out make for a practical, open space with enviable views across the plains.
…continue reading 48 Whareora Tce. Price House. Griffiths, Moffat & Partners.
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.
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.
…continue reading 14 Highbank Lne. Neil Hey.
A tip-off from Stephen led us to this wee jewel by a stream in Spreydon. Stephen is a fan the original 60s design and wonders if it may be a Peter Beaven? He could well be right. The house also has similarities to the Charles Thomas’ designed Fielding House with its folded roof and blockwork. We like it a lot.
…continue reading 2 Cobham St. Architect Unknown.
