Registered Master Builder Gold & Top 100 National House of the Year Award – Christchurch New Architectural Build 2022

It’s great to be home

Having been at the helm of Fleetwood Construction since 2003, we were ready to make the leap and build a home of our own in the leafy suburb of Fendalton. The result is an exquisite home that is very much in touch with the surrounding natural environment.

Honouring the history

When creating our family home with Cymon Allfrey Architect, we wanted to respect the old and showcase the new. The starting point was an earthquake damaged home that needed demolition. But with parts of the original foundations still in good shape and a respect for what was, we decided to design the house around the history of the property. The rear portion of the house and the garage had solid foundations and were relatively unscathed by the earthquakes, so we incorporated the existing architectural rooflines of these buildings and designed the main house around them. What we have achieved is a beautiful blending of old and new in an architecturally sensitive way.

Next to nature

Another crucial element to this design is the blurring of the lines between inside and outside. The large high windows and sliding doors providing access to expansive sky views are just the start of this imagining. The meticulous wood paneling on the gabled ceiling is another nod to nature. We certainly catch ourselves looking up to the sky and wondering whether we are in the core or the exterior of the home. We chose a neutral colour palette throughout the home, which softens the boundary between inside and out. One of our favourite features of the home is the Timaru bluestone wall at our entrance way, which draws you all the way in to discover what lies inside. Here you are greeted by the detailed black oak battened ceiling in the entranceway which skillfully wraps around into the staircase, showcasing Sam’s superior craftsmanship.

Sustainability at the fore

It was essential for us to build a home that is sustainable and friendly to the environment. Hence, the home is incredibly well thought through in terms of its eco-efficiency and warmth. With solar panels for power and hot water, up-spec’ed insulation throughout, argon gas in the double-glazed windows and thermally broken aluminium joinery, we know this house is toasty warm in winter and beautifully cool in summer. Added to that is the hydronic underfloor heating, which creates radiant heat throughout the home, and you’re witnessing a home where every detail has been thought through with care and attention.

Creating great spaces

And the size of our home is deceptive. In spite of its modest size, there is an expansive feel to the home, with its gable ceilings and clever use of nestling a home office space upstairs. We used an architectural lighting designer to extend the open feeling of our home into the evenings, by allowing the light and shadows to play with each other. The result is an appreciation of the architectural lines that beautifully blend old and new, inside and out. Most certainly a labour of love, the detailing achieved by Sam and our team’s outstanding craftmanship is delightful in every corner of this home.

Photography - Jamie Armstrong