Christchurch Modern

20 Connolly St Geraldine. Stafford House. Beaven & Heaney.

admin — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 23:47:28 +0000

After returning from Japan, and prior to moving back to Christchurch in 1956, Peter was in partnership with Robert A. Heaney in Timaru. This is the first house we’ve seen of the partnership – they were recent graduates and mostly designed woolstores – and places it as early-to-mid 1950s.

Thanks to Peter Rush for the submission, and in his own words:

The house is mostly in original condition but the kitchen joinery has been replaced. All other joinery is still there. The house has been painted, there is evidence that originally all the internal / external western red cedar boards and oregon beams were unpainted. The fireplace brickwork was also originally unpainted.

The house is beautifully sited on a double corner block. The house has been pushed to the rear southern boundary and designed so that the bedrooms, kitchen and living space open to the garden and the sun. Magnificent, perfect!

I think it’s a rare complete design, thoughtful planning, passive solar design and beautiful spaces. Great site planning.

24 Macmillan Ave. Griffiths, Moffat & Partners.

admin — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 02:04:55 +0000

A good house, essentially untouched since the 1950s, is hard to find. And this simple, low-pitched number is an understated treasure with a great view. Air the place out, sell the chandeliers, reinstate the fireplace, and move right in.

5 Westenra Tce. Architect Unknown.

admin — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 01:23:14 +0000

Straight from the 70s Warren & Mahoney style book – white concrete block, recessed square windows and deep concrete beams. Is it the real deal? Perhaps a junior W&M designer taking a job on the side? Or a colleague’s flattering tribute to the Cambridge Tce studio?

9 Fitz Place. Allan Mitchener.

admin — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 06:44:56 +0000

Jackpot. Hiding in the bushes, just down the road from Lincoln University’s wonderful Corbusian Hilgendorf Building, is this certified peach. Everything we see by Allan Mitchener is good, the problem is we don’t see enough. We know he worked in Christchurch, moved north, taught at Auckland University, but that’s it. Who knows more? Commenting is free this month.

34b Creyke Rd. Don Donnithorne.

admin — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 20:30:23 +0000

The remarkable thing about this home is not so much the design (which is good), but the condition. Since 1953, it’s had nothing but a light feather dusting. The original owners are moving on, so if you fancy a slice of post-war optimism and one of Don D’s very first designs, shake a leg.

Thanks to Nick for the tip, who’s handling the sale.

33 Newbridge Pl. Pearson Flats. Warren & Mahoney.

admin — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 05:54:13 +0000

In 1965 there was good money to be made from townhouse developments. So much so, that developers employed architects and spent money on design detail. W&M did a lot of this kind of work and this is one of their best. Four townhouses, cleverly staggered to give each a fireplace and privacy, beautifully detailed inside and out.

Thanks to Jill for the tip

Warren & Mahoney by Duncan Winder.

admin — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 23:09:45 +0000

One day in 1964 a man called Duncan Winder from Wellington visited Christchurch and took some pictures of Warren & Mahoney residences. That’s pretty much the extent of the story, unless people know more?

Images courtesy of The National Library

Webb flats, Cox St Merivale

L E Scott House, Kidson Tce Cashmere

College House, Ilam Rd

MJW Davis House, Hilltop Lane (demolished)

Broderick flats, Rhodes St (demolished)

Paprill house, Idris Rd (and interior below)

LJ Beatty House, Cannon Hill Cr (demolished)

Miles Warren’s flat, 65 Cambridge Tce

Addendum:

Winder, Norman Henry Duncan, 1919-1970

Architect and photographer, of Wellington. Known as Duncan Winder. Born September 1919 in Prescot, Lancashire, England. Trained as an architect in England, and served as a climbing and skiing instructor attached to a Special Forces School in the Middle East, during World War II. In 1955 he came to New Zealand and joined the architectural firm of Gray Young, Morton and Calder. He left architecture in 1962 to pursue photography, concentrating on architectural subjects. He died 7 September 1970 in Wellington. Sources of information: NZIA Journal, October 1970; Registrar General; Ancestry Library Edition, sighted 4 September 2008

For Sale. Park Lane. Humphrey Hall.

admin — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:07:10 +0000

Park Lane is up for sale. Who cares? You do. It’s arguably New Zealand’s first modernist house, designed in 1938 by Humphrey after returning from London. He was clearly impressed with Corbusier and designed this villa in the streamlined International Style complete with nautical details and an open sun-deck. Back when UV exposure, like smoking, was good for your health.This house is one of the most important modern homes in the country. Robin Simpson’s own Remuera House and Ernst Plishke’s Frankl House are of the same time, but quite different in style. Park Lane is really one-of-a-kind and features in pretty much all the books, including Julia Gatley’s Long Live the Modern and Douglas Lloyd Jenkins At Home. It also featured in New Zealand Home & Entertaining’s Top 50 homes of the Century list Top 50 Homes of the Century (pdf download).

Remarkably, the house looks pretty original. The built-in furniture and kitchen seem intact, the iron spiral stairs are present and all it really needs is a sympathetic hug and few swings of a sledgehammer to open up the roof deck again. Happy bidding.

View the Harcourts listing

Thanks Andrew for the tip

216 Centaurus Rd. Tony Athfield House. Ian Athfield.

admin — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 02:56:03 +0000

Now heavily disguised as a shit house and hiding right under our noses is this very early Athfield design, sketched for his brother in 1963 whilst Ath was studying in Auckland. To see it today, painted yellow with a second storey and portico, causes acute intestinal gas.

The house is mentioned in Julia Gatley’s book Athfield Architects:

Concurrent with his university work, Athfield produced sketch designs from Auckland but did not have time to do anything more and Tony used the Canterbury Draughting & Design Service for the developed design and working drawings. Some changes were made to the initial design before construction started.

A separate studio (Tony is a musician and photographer) was designed by Ath and built out back in 1975.

Bye Peter Beaven.

admin — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 08:09:19 +0000

Peter died yesterday and we’re sad. He was a hero to us. He road his bicycle to work every day, answered the office phone himself and designed with extraordinary skill, imagination and purpose. At the age of 86 he was busy: working and telling everybody what he thought, wearing his uniform of white chinos and navy fisherman’s jumper. “There’s no time to decide what to wear every day”. Until yesterday, Peter was still Christchurch’s best young architect.