By Herriot Melhuish O'Neill Architects Ltd
On a hill site, looking to the ocean and Southern Alps, once stood HMOA Director Duval O’Neill and wife Bridget's home, designed in the 1950s by architect Don Cowey. Following damage from the Christchurch earthquakes, this modest house was demolished and in its place, and to a similar layout, is a brand new three-bedroom home.
At the heart of the design was the desire to keep the essence of Cowey’s house, while adapting it for contemporary living. Adding just 36 metres to the 148 sq metre plan original floor plan, the biggest shift in planning was to develop the basement into a master bedroom and ensuite with a second living area, and to connect the upper level of the house with the garden via a new timber bridge. The upstairs entry level has two bedrooms, bathroom and open plan living.
The material palette remains the same as Cowey originally detailed it—simple, natural, with lots of wood. The original double-skin cladding has also been maintained, articulating each elevation in dark Western Red Cedar or Siberian Larch. Along with an experimental warm roof construction, the new house is super-insulated for the Canterbury climate.
Read more on HMOA's blog about the original Don Cowey house and Duval's experience of rebuilding it.
Photos: Russell Kleyn
Herriot Melhuish O’Neill Architects is an NZIA award-winning practice with studios in Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland and Tauranga. Established in 1997, our rich portfolio of commercial and residential work demonstrates a strong commitment to creating beautifully-crafted architecture that enhances the lives of those who experience our buildings – both inside and out.
We believe that enduring architecture is a delicate balance of factors – our clients’ needs and aspirations, our professional training and expertise, the history and nature of the site – but also intuition and commonsense. Every design decision, from materials to how the building complements the landscape, matters to us and adds to the experiential qualities of our projects.
Directors Max Herriot and John Melhuish in Wellington, Duval O'Neill in Christchurch and Matt Pearson in Auckland are committed to the best architectural design practices. HMOA Associate and registered architect Jenny Duck runs the Tauranga studio.
As well as new homes and house renovations, we have experience in the education, recreation, heritage, health and hospitality sectors, office interiors, multi-unit developments, civil projects and master-planning.