Redcliffs Renovation

Edge of the Red Zone The only ones at the auction for this house, just after the Canterbury earthquakes, we were able to buy our first home at a good price. Even if it was within echoing distance of the red cliff of Redcliffs, it was cleverly designed by one of Christchurch’s great modernist architects, Don Cowey. Not bad at all. When it came time to carry out the earthquake repairs, after the usual saga of EQC and insurance settlement, it was important for us to make the most of the process. We sensed a duty, with the loss of so many exemplars of Cowey’s work post-quake, to sensitively restore this quaint unit and stay in style with its littermates along the length of this quiet cul-de-sac hunkered under the cliff. We desired the function of a modern house, and I wanted an onsite office to be enable me to work from home, so we made a few minor but crucial tweaks. The garage became a studio with new internal access. The laundry moved to allow the expansion of the bathroom, without the need to modify the footprint or external form. We also added a frameless glass screen, normally reserved for commercial builds, to create a front porch without imposing upon the beautiful forms the architect had given to the entry.