Curvature House

This home is a carefully considered response to both its site and the owners’ unique lifestyle. Situated on a small lifestyle block, it was designed to foster open family living while incorporating their beloved pets—including two Clydesdale horses and Snow the goat—who can engage with the family at their discretion.

With a prominent street-facing profile, privacy was a key consideration. The design draws inspiration from a majestic Golden Elm tree on-site, using its circular form to inform the curved timber slats and perforated metal rain screens. These sculptural elements not only create a striking aesthetic but also provide structural support, privacy, and climatic control, balancing sun glare and shading.

The design seamlessly connects with the surrounding landscape, embracing its rural essence within an urban setting. Given the home’s restrained footprint, all bedrooms are located on the first floor, with a lift incorporated to ensure accessibility in later years. Each bedroom features a private balcony, while the son’s separate sleepout is linked via an external boardwalk, overlooking the pool and sheltering the horse stables below, allowing the horses to interact with the family, often in hopes of a treat.

The heart of the home is an open-plan living space, flanked by the kitchen, dining, and library. A series of voids and varied ceiling heights create a dynamic interplay of light and volume, enhancing both visual and acoustic connectivity between floors. Instead of a television, the couch is oriented toward the tennis court and paddocks, reinforcing a lifestyle centered around presence and appreciation of the natural surroundings.

Despite the expansive layout, the design thoughtfully incorporates built-in daybeds and intimate nooks for privacy and quiet retreat. This home is more than a residence—it is an immersive, nature-connected sanctuary that celebrates family, openness, and the beauty of its surroundings.

Located on the rural-urban fringe of Christchurch, this family home offers the best of both worlds—embracing country living while remaining nestled within suburbia. The site, once home to commercial-scale greenhouses and packing sheds for carnation farming, has been transformed into a lifestyle block. This new build replaces an aging home without expanding its original footprint.

Existing site features—including a tennis court, mature trees, and an office building—shaped the design, presenting both opportunities and constraints. Privacy from the street was paramount, yet the home strategically opens along key axes to reveal backyard views. Surrounded by towering trees, the architecture fosters a sense of living among the canopy, blurring the boundaries between built form and nature.

Positioned opposite a vineyard and in close proximity to neighboring homes, the design balances private, sheltered outdoor areas with open spaces that engage with the street. Thoughtful orientation maximizes solar gain and natural light, creating a healthy internal environment that enhances the well-being of its occupants.

This home is a carefully crafted response to its site, celebrating the harmony between modern living, nature, and community.