It was 1967 when the owners moved in and not much has changed since. Not Don’s finest, but a real time capsule with some familiar Cowey touches like the Pizza Hut roof & fibreglass Shoji screens inside.
This early 60s home hasn’t fared well under heavy-handed alterations and mis-judged additions. The summerhill stone and timber has been painted over and the overall feel is of a builder’s show home. The red stuff is just plain silly.
Hidden behind the Honda Jazz is another lovely Cowey home, unassuming from the driveway in the Christchurch style of steeply pitched roofs and white painted concrete block. Inside, beautiful woodwork and split-level open spaces combine to produce a lovely, crafted home.
…continue reading 15b Glandovey Rd. Don Cowey.
Deceptively simple from the road, but closer inspection reveals a lovely intersection of lines and detail. The home sits elevated above the road, enjoying views to the alps, and is topped by a squat, chunky chimney design. Beautiful in its understatement.
…continue reading 126 Centaurus Rd. Don Cowey.
Another 1960s gem from the pencil of Don Cowey that demonstrates his skill and versatility as a designer. The home appears flat-roofed at a glance, but the steep pitch of the central living room roof and red brick chimney add vertical presence.
…continue reading 219 Memorial Ave. Cowey and McGregor.
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.
Don typically favoured gently mono-pitched roofs for his hillside homes, but on this flat site he went for a taller roof style - later appropriated by the Pizza Hut family restaurant chain. It enables a mezzanine level accessed via a neat, integrated brick stairway above the fireplace and sunken ’sitting well’.
…continue reading 35 Leinster Rd. Mclauchlan House. Don Cowey.
NZIA 2008 award for enduring architecture.
An ambitious attempt at low-cost living by Christchurch City Council built in 1978. The units turn their back on the less-than-serene Brougham St and included some innovative features for the time including solar water heating. The Smurf-blue paint job is an unfortunate deviation from the original white.
…continue reading Brougham Village. 384 Brougham St. Cowey Mills.
Christchurch Art Gallery.
18 - 24 October, 10am - 4pm on the hour.
This film profiles the interior and exterior of four modern houses in Christchurch using archival photographs and contemporary video with voiceover from architects and inhabitants.
…continue reading Four Houses From Four Decades
Don Cowey was one of the architects who collectively developed the Christchurch Style in the 1960s. This lovely little house is where he lives today used to live and rests on a concrete block base, a nice reference to the old times.
…continue reading 38 Raekura Pl. Cowey House. Don Cowey.