A very clean, unadorned box clad in rough cut boards and perched upon a beautiful ‘off shutter’ concrete base. There’s a fair bit of vegetation concealing the in-situ concrete details, but some sharp secateurs and a barrel of napalm would make short work of it.

…continue reading 3 Brigid Pl. Warren & Mahoney.

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.

Multi-level, concrete block and timber design from one of Christchurch’s best mid-century architects and designer of the stellar Canterbury Society of Arts Gallery.

…continue reading 279 Cannon Hill Cr. Ching House. Minson, Henning-Hansen & Dines.

A long, low roofline dominates this beautiful hilltop home, accentuating the clean 1960s lines. Large windows make the most of the views to the Southern Alps.

…continue reading 12 Takahe Dr. Paul Pascoe.

Nice little number overlooking the estuary using offset roof pitch and light / dark contrast of materials to accentuate the geometric lines.

…continue reading 9 Balmoral Ln. David Allen.

Modified, but still recognisable as the strikingly unconventional Swedish barn that Peter designed for an awkward hill site in the 60s. A lovely, unadorned design for a small family with living areas downstairs and 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and a playroom upstairs.

…continue reading 128 Dyers Pass Rd. Askew House. Peter Beaven.

This lovely 1980s home named Halcyon sits beautifully on the sloping Cashmere Hills overlooking the Canterbury plains. It shows Ian’s love of Modernist and Mediterranean architecture. In this case, hard geometric lines mixed with archways and…..it seems….timber window shutters.

…continue reading 32 Kiteroa Pl. Jones House. Ian Athfield.

Welcome to Cashmere and the official Christchurch Sound of Music Tour. On your left you will see the home of the famous Von Trapp family.

Hello Switzerland.

…continue reading 15 MacMillan Ave. Hardie 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 bay windows, a device he used on the Dorset Towers. This was the largest new home Nicholas designed, and the first one after leaving Warren & Mahoney. It’s been changed and added to over the years and given some silly faux Tuscan touches, but remains distinctive.

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

David Allen was a contemporary of Roger Walker and Ian Athfield at the Auckland Architecture School. This idiosyncratic design borrows from, yet rallies against the formal Christchurch style established in the 60s. It looks good.

…continue reading 71 Parklands Dr. David Allen.

Built in 1962 for motor dealer Bernie Blogg. Legend has it on completion of the job Bernie took out a roll of bills from his pocket, counted off a portion of the the architect’s fee and said “sue me for the rest”.

…continue reading 51a Dyers Pass Rd. Blogg House. Don Cowey.