Snowdon Road River House banner

The River House project involved building a new home for owners who wanted to take advantage of their unique riverside location. The house was designed with two distinct gable forms connected by a glazed entrance. The main wing and deck face the stream and are elevated on piles to accommodate potential floodwaters. The second wing is set back to create a private courtyard and garden. 

The incorporation of landscape features provides a sense of the waterway within the house, with a rill between the two gable forms. To capture the natural surroundings, the linear forms of the house include carefully articulated openings, while sliding timber shutters provide privacy and sun shading. 

Materials used for the facade include cedar cladding, river stone gabion baskets, and black steel roofing to contrast with the natural cedar. A small concrete wing on the side of the house serves as the service area. The resulting home is scaled to respond to the site conditions while protecting the unique qualities of the location.

Frost Architectural Builders
Canterbury
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House
River House

About the
Professional

Frost Architectural Builders is a second generation, multi-award-winning building company that specialises in custom home builds. Based in Christchurch, Garry Frost and his son Mitch have developed a long-standing reputation for consistent excellence in high-end residential construction.

Create an unparalleled living environment

Deliver on the promise of your architect’s plans while working to your budget, section size, and spatial requirements.

Whether you’re building your first home or have built many times before, our team will proactively manage your project from bare land to handing over the keys. We’ll collaborate with you and your architect to highlight features of your section or suggest adjustments to keep build costs within your budget. Our finished homes are consistently 90% above standard building requirements. Each project is steered by a total commitment to quality of workmanship, backed by strong working relationships with both you and our suppliers.