At the corner of Armagh Street and iconic New Regent Street, this inner-city apartment, built by Dan Saunders Construction, gently honours Christchurch's architectural history while pointing clearly towards the city's vibrant future.

Words Anna Scaife Photography Kate Claridge

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Sandwiched between The Piano Centre for Music and The Arts, and much-loved New Regent Street, the location of this bold new build created a unique opportunity for both builder and architect. Dan Saunders of Dan Saunders Constructions says, “The chance to build on New Regent Street probably won’t come up again in our lifetime, it was special to be involved.”

While a better location for a town pad would be hard to find, the unique address made working on the site a worthy challenge for the experienced Dan Saunders Construction team. Surrounded by shops and cafés, the area’s high foot traffic mean the logistics of the build had to be carefully managed. The building also stretches from boundary to boundary, leaving no room to store anything outside, so materials needed to be stacked carefully inside. With tramlines rounding the corner just metres away, the trams roll past every ten minutes, adding to the complexity of working on the site. Dan Saunders says, “We had to bring in the concrete panels in the middle of the night. We blocked off the traffic and worked under lights. It was a glorious scene, quite surreal.”

Timber accents The high level of craftsmanship required for this high-spec project from Dan Saunders Construction is evident in the beautiful solid timber accents to the interior. — **Timber accents** The high level of craftsmanship required for this high-spec project from Dan Saunders Construction is evident in the beautiful solid timber accents to the interior.

The well-known Spanish mission style pastel façades of the New Regent Street terrace shops have captured the hearts of locals and visitors alike since their construction in 1932. Recognising the cultural importance, the street is listed as a category one heritage location. Engaged by the owner to design a combined retail, office and residential space Wilkie and Bruce Architects were required to consult with Heritage New Zealand as well presenting to Christchurch City Council’s urban design panel during the design phase.

The resulting thoughtful three-storey design comprises a stunning apartment and office within two floors, over a ground floor retail complex. The apartment also boasts a garage, lift and north-facing terrace. Paying its respects to its high-profile neighbours, the completed building references the finishes of The Piano, while reflecting the scale and articulation of the New Regent Street shops. Tony Hoare of Wilkie and Bruce Architects explains further.

“The building exterior responds to the adjacent narrow heritage shop fronts through its representation as three projecting façades. The shadow-play of the New Regent Street buildings attached pilasters (rectangular columns) and plaster mouldings are continued on the new building as ‘negative’ recesses, as well as through the use of punched windows. The variable-width metal cladding creates secondary relief and detail. The first-floor window heads and sill line heights continue the strong horizontal lines of features from the New Regent Street buildings.”

Working closely with the client, the brief for the interior was to create a space that catered for the owners need for privacy, a sanctuary from the busy scene outdoors. The resulting home is the work of a group of passionate experts who collaborated to achieve a stunning result.

Joinery designer and spatial planner, Ingrid of Ingrid Geldof Design, joined the project from the outset. Her task was to ensure the spaces and function were optimised and would provide the exact requirements for the client. She says, “I was able to make fine adjustments to some of the windows and walls to suit, which made it so much easier, working closely with the architects and specialist consultants.” Ingrid added a slot window in the kitchen and is delighted with it saying, “You can see the Port Hills and Ballerina from there, and I love that,” referring to the large-scale street art painting by Owen Dippie on the back wall of the Isaac Theatre Royal, visible from Armagh Street.

Ingrid had worked with her discerning client on a previous project and set out to create a masculine yet soft look and feel for his new home by utilising a dark stained kitchen, entertainment unit, robe and vanity joinery, soft pale grey benches, and textural linen-look tiles in the ensuite. Reflecting on the completed apartment, she says, “The team created a fabulous space in the busy hub of the city, the apartment has a calm, light and airy feel. In the evening, the lighting and dark joinery gives it a sense of cosy intimacy.”

Working in partnership with Ingrid to achieve this aesthetic was interior designer and colourist, Jane Swinard of Jane Swinard Design. Jane was conscious that her client was moving from a suburban home to an inner-city apartment and mindful of the changes that could bring. Jane says, “My goal was to make an inner-city apartment, on a busy corner, into a home where the client could feel relaxed. It was a highly specified space and the interior fit-out needed to be worthy of this. I was keen to instil a sense of quiet sophistication into this beautiful inner-city space, while still making it feel comfortable and relaxed.”

Unique viewpoint Sliding doors lead to a balcony overlooking the iconic Spanish mission façades of New Regent Street. — **Unique viewpoint** Sliding doors lead to a balcony overlooking the iconic Spanish mission façades of New Regent Street.

Christchurch interiors retailer Nextdore were consulted during the selection of the interior finishes, and many of the materials used in the project came from the company’s broad range of quality products.

Chris Attwood of Nextdore visited the apartment on several occasions finalising requirements for flooring and tiling and says there were a few unique challenges with the fit-out. “The bespoke wooden staircase at the front entrance is constructed in solid oak and designed to look as if it’s floating. It took time to get that right.” With the location over the shop below, acoustics needed to be considered and Nextdore recommended pairing the Cavalier Bremworth wool carpet with a Stratus underlay for its high-quality acoustic and insulative performance.

Joinery The solid oak balustrade at 5.8 metres high was a challenge for craftsman Joiners, Ruben's Joinery, to construct in situ. — **Joinery** The solid oak balustrade at 5.8 metres high was a challenge for craftsman Joiners, Ruben's Joinery, to construct in situ.

Chris from Nextdore cites the timber in the home as a favourite aspect of the finished interior saying it gives the space a natural, luxury feel. A standout feature is the 5.8 metre-high American oak balustrade crafted by specialist joiners, Ruben’s Joinery. The height of the balustrade created a challenge as most lengths of timber had to be joined, the joins staggered, and long rods placed to run through the balustrade and tie it all together. Built in-situ in a high traffic area, it was a tricky puzzle to piece together. Still, Ruben Patchett says it was worth it for the result, “I think it was all about letting the timber speak for itself.”

Ruben was thrilled to work on such a unique project with the talented professionals involved and says, “It was a privilege to work with the Dan Saunders’ team, contributing to such a unique home. Their vision was evident throughout every stage of the project.”

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Dan Saunders Construction is committed to the goal of building homes that make people’s lives better and healthier. Dan says, “We believe warmer healthier homes should be available to everyone. We aim to improve the standard, and we enjoy the craftsmanship behind our work, whether it’s a high-end residential home, light commercial project or an affordable, healthy family home.”

Dan and his team are justifiably proud of what they and the wider team have achieved with this ambitious project in a unique location. He says, “The client had a vision for this place, and it was a feat of craftsmanship to achieve. It’s an amazing space to be inside; everyone on the team was absolutely committed to seeing it realised. It really sings.”