This large and impressive home, designed by Wilkie and Bruce Architects and built by Hoogervorst Builders on the banks of the Avon River, is a masterpiece in the making.

WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Rowlands

Both builder and architect in this project have a long history of building beautiful homes. The architectural practice is over 40 years old, and Nick Hoogervorst of Hoogervorst Builders trained under his father, Roland, where he learnt the skills and crafts of house building often lost in modern building training.

The homeowners also appreciated good architecture and building. Having grown up in the area, they were keen to return.

“We walked a lot through Mona Vale,” says the homeowner. “There was a big old mansion on the site, and I used to tell my husband I wanted to live there one day.” When the couple saw the house was demolished following the Christchurch earthquakes, they approached the owners to buy it.

“We wanted to build a house that was suited to our current needs,” explains the homeowner. “We are fans of Frank Lloyd Wright and have visited many of his houses in the USA. We wanted large windows and plenty of light, a large, covered verandah and spacious rooms. We also wanted a very thermally efficient home, so the temperature didn't fluctuate too much over the seasons.”

“It was essential that the design of this house respected the Mona Vale homestead just across the river,” explains John Bennett, Architect at Wilkie and Bruce Architects. “Being very familiar with the site, I knew how visible the new house would be to the many visitors of this Category 1 heritage building and its gardens, so I felt quite a responsibility to create something special and appropriate to the setting.”

The design references several clues from the homestead, namely its two dominant gable forms (interpreted as two cantilevering flat roof forms linked by the glazed gallery), the first-floor overhang, the first-floor balconies and the use of different materials on the lower and upper floors. The scale of the new house is cleverly reduced by two similar forms separated by a glazed gallery.

FEATURE GARDENS Epic Landscape Design was commissioned to undertake the soft landscaping design, focusing on retaining views and providing privacy and complying with Council waterway restrictions.

Nestled down a long private lane, the home is well set back from the hustle and bustle of the Christchurch suburb of Fendalton. The section is also home to two islands, which have been beautifully integrated into the landscape design, with bridges and a wandering path.

“Materials were chosen to be low-maintenance, natural and muted. The use of deep balconies and verandahs along with layering complements the Mona Vale homestead and its park setting,” says John. “The house construction well exceeds the insulation requirements of the building code to achieve a super insulated home. This combined with the high thermal mass designed into the house makes it thermally stable and energy efficient.”

The homeowners recognise the comfort and health benefits of building a warm home and were keen to take advantage of technologies to achieve this and minimise ongoing energy costs.

CUSTOM DESIGN All the interiors have been designed by Davinia Sutton, keeping true to the architectural context and the client’s brief. Some of the beautiful furniture within the home is custom made and designed by Davinia Sutton.

“The house has a feeling of calmness,” says the homeowner. “Each room has unique views to look out from multiple directions. The house is incredibly well insulated and inexpensive to run due to the solar panels and battery.”

The house is close to the Avon River, so it has been designed with a high floor level (above a 200-year flood level). The site incorporates an overland flow path with swale to mitigate the effects of global warming and changing weather patterns.

With the views to the south, the living space has been designed as a single-width room to receive the northern sun while taking full advantage of the river and island views to the south.

The homeowner is happy with the design and the result, having moved in just over two years ago.

beautifully integrated into the landscape

“We chose John as our architect, as the land had been in his family for three generations, and he had lived on it for most of his life,” says the homeowner. “He had a passion for the land, so we knew he would put his heart and soul into the design. John was able to interpret our needs and provide lots of interesting details in the house, which we discovered as the build progressed. We are very happy with the end result.”

It was also a perfect fit for the choice of builder, with the homeowner saying she enjoyed working with both the architect and the builder.

“Roland and Nick from Hoogervorst Builders were great to work with and were very particular in making sure everything was done to a high standard,” says the homeowner. “Nothing was ever a problem, and their advice and solutions were invaluable.”

ITALIAN TILES LOCALLY Offering innovative tile solutions, DesignaStyle installed stunning tiles in the bathrooms of the home.

Wilkie and Bruce selected Nick Hoogervorst Builders as the main contractor to manage and build the home as the Hoogervorst team were familiar with working on such large projects which incorporated high quality materials such as zinc fascias and cladding, GRC cladding, timber soffits and screen, all with bespoke details.

“High-quality architectural building often has lots of challenges along the way,” says Nick. “But we are good at identifying these challenges early and collaborating to find solutions. This, in our experience, leads to the best outcomes.”

The team at Hoogervorst Builders specialises in architecturally designed new builds, renovations and light commercial projects throughout Christchurch and Canterbury.

VENETIAN WALLS Venetian Plaster NZ offers the largest range of lime-based plasters in New Zealand. The finish on this home was Pietra Levigata (polished stone) from the Istinto range.

“We pride ourselves on our reliability, honesty, work ethic and standards,” says Nick. “Our portfolio spans a wide range of projects; each one a display of our extensive knowledge and experience.”

Spatial designer, Davinia Sutton at Detail by Davinia Sutton, was engaged to carry out the interiors of the home, including the hard and soft finishes and interior palette. In collaboration with John at Wilkie and Bruce Architects, she has worked beautifully within the architectural vision of the home as well as providing a wow factor for the client.

Davinia, who is now highly acclaimed on the international stage in the world of design, says, “I feel the interiors speak well within the architectural component. We have given the home a soul and it’s been a wonderful thing to curate for our clients.”

the house has a feeling of calmness

This home is spectacular in many ways, not least because of the collaborative work that went behind creating it. The New Zealand Institute of Architects has also taken note of the home, shortlisting it in its 2022 NZIA Canterbury Awards.

The kitchen, designed by Davinia Sutton, won the Supreme Kitchen Design award at the 2021 NKBA (National Kitchen & Bathroom Association NZ) awards. The bathroom, also designed by Davinia Sutton, won the Supreme Bathroom Design award at the same event. The home’s interiors have also been shortlisted in some international design awards.

Not averse to prestige, the home also features a sculpture commissioned from the well-known Christchurch artist, Bing Dawe. The sculpture represents the Avon River and the tributaries that flow into it outside the property and includes native flora of the area.