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Conical Hill was designed for an active family based in Christchurch with a modest budget as a simple yet sophisticated ‘lock and leave’ holiday retreat in the small alpine town of Hanmer Springs in the Canterbury High Country.

The site, a tight 600m² sloping section, borders Conical Hill Road to the West, which is at times a busy route for walkers and bikers exploring the forested hills. Local planning regulations dictated the house be well set back from the road and centralized on the site. Cunning planning and a steep 38° roof pitch enabled the house to squeeze under the restrictive recession planes, while still incorporating all spaces as desired in the client’s brief.

The small 89m² building footprint incorporates a generous double height living area with inset wood burner / wood store and adjoining kitchen area. Three bedrooms are split between the ground and first floor, with each floor including a bathroom. A large storage space with external access to the long covered verandah is tucked under the stair in which the owners store their 5 mountain bikes – an indispensable element of the brief. Operable skylights are positioned on roof to enable passive ventilation from all rooms, whilst also framing the view down the valley from the master bedroom.

As a nod to the forested surrounding environment, the house is clad in timber throughout. Stained board and batten externally is paired with contrasting aluminium joinery. A full height aluminium louvre adds interest to the road side elevation, whilst also providing privacy and screening from the late afternoon sun. Internally, exposed first floor timber floor joists create a greater sense of space, while plywood linings and timber flooring maintain the no-fuss, holiday aesthetic.

NZIA Local Award - 2018

Sheppard & Rout Architects
Canterbury
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About the
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We aim to produce humanist architecture comprised of stimulating and inspirational spaces and places.

We are a design-based practice that believes in providing tailor-made solutions to an individual client's needs. The fundamental objective of the practice is to develop architecture that is appropriate to its specific site, wider context and intended use while being robust, flexible and environmentally-aware.

These variables are used along with the appropriate structural considerations to develop buildings with well-suited form and style, instead of approaching the design from a stylistic standpoint.

The practice was established in 1982 in Christchurch by David Sheppard and Jonty Rout. In its 40 years the practice has carried out a wide range of projects covering many types and in numerous geographic locations. The founding partners brought to the practice extensive design and construction experience gained while working with other offices in both New Zealand and overseas. Tim Dagg joined Sheppard & Rout in 1986 and Jasper van der Lingen in 1993 and they both joined David Sheppard as Directors in 2006.

With David Sheppard now retired and Jonty very sadly passed away the practice is led by Directors Jasper van der Lingen and Tim Dagg and three Associate Directors; Matt Gutsell, Jonathan Kennedy and Steven Orr.