In a class of its own
Former school mates turned collaborators have achieved an A-plus result in this new home, constructed by CCL Builders and designed by architectural designers Figure & Ground.
WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Mick Stephenson
The modern aesthetic of the upper level of the home is achieved with a Rockcote plaster exterior cladding – expertly installed by Tamou Contracting.
What immediately strikes you about this property is the quiet, leafy backdrop. If you listen carefully, you can hear the babbling of the nearby creek. Look up and you’ll see well-established trees, and when you stop you can smell the lushness of wintertime. These elements all provide the perfect backdrop for this modern, stylish home situated just a stone’s throw from the bustle of Ōtautahi Christchurch.
Homeowners Aimy and Rob felt this connection to the natural surroundings as soon as they first viewed the property, some three years ago.
“It was an as-is, where-is listing with an old 1920s property on it,” says Aimy. “But as soon as we saw it, we fell in love with the trees. We just had to buy it.”
What was initially envisioned as a renovation for the couple quickly became a demolish-and-rebuild project. “From the very start we worked with Matt Cruickshank from CCL Builders, and straight away he highlighted the hazards in our original plan,” says Aimy. Asbestos, weak framing and an unconsented extension to the old home meant it was going to be an uphill battle.
And so began the creation of this architectural marvel. Alongside the homeowners and Matt, another visionary was at play: architectural designer Simon Johnson from Figure & Ground.
Rob, Matt and Simon are all friends from their formative years at school.
“We all went to St Andrew’s College together, and it’s Rob who’s kept us all in touch over the years,” says Matt. “I worked with Rob and Aimy on a property of theirs in Prebbleton, so I knew this one was going to be a success as well.”
All the kitchen and laundry joinery was expertly completed by East Joinery. Black Laminex non-mark cabinetry (matt acrylic) takes pride of place here, with a Silestone Ethereal Glow benchtop and splashback.
For Rob and Amy, this is their third new build in five years. The brief this time was for a functional home big enough for their small family of three (plus cat Coco), but with the expectation that it could comfortably house a bigger family in the future. “We incorporated many aspects of our previous homes into this home,” says Aimy. “For instance, the rooms are similar sizes, but we just amended and adapted to give extra flexibility to what the home could mean in the future.”
Simon worked with the space available on the 1208sqm section and designed a modern two-storey, four-bedroom dwelling, with a sizeable three-bay garage, pool and multifunctional outdoor space. The upper floor has a concrete look with a textured plaster finish. This contrasts with the texture on the lower level using dark brown cedar cladding.
“Like for all our clients, we wanted to get the best outcome for them. For Rob and Aimy, it was about creating a functional and flexible family home,” says Simon. “We don’t have any preconceived ideas about what the home should look like before we’ve spoken with our clients. It’s very much a collaborative and bespoke outcome. The layout and space planning were largely informed by the orientation of the stream, which provided a desirable visual aspect combined with navigating the waterway setback planning constraint.”
The house itself is largely timber framed, with steel members in the upper level for structural reasons. What appears to be a flat roof is actually at a four-degree angle, discreetly hidden beyond a parapet on approach to the house. “We achieve the desired contemporary aesthetic, combined with the advantages of a sloped roof for water drainage,” says Simon. “We were also looking at ways of maximising the outcome for Rob and Aimy while always being conscious of budget and constructability.”
Tiles throughout the home were supplied and installed by MO TIles in Spreydon, Christchurch. The company brings the best blend of global trends and best brands and has hundreds of tile options to suit all tastes and budgets.
There’s an atmosphere of refined serenity inside the home. The open-plan layout seamlessly connects the living spaces, inviting in natural light, which is precisely what Aimy had envisioned. “I want people to come in through the front door and immediately be drawn to the large windows facing out onto the gardens,” she says.
Upstairs, the spacious bedrooms and three bathrooms (two of which are ensuite) allow for flexible living and privacy, when required. The versatility of living spaces is also apparent outside, with a permanent barbecue and space for outdoor entertainment, a family play area and the pool.
Asked about their favourite aspects of this comfortable and spacious abode, Aimy says she loves the flooring and the feeling of sitting in amongst the trees when at the dining table. The office space at the rear of the home is also a great place to be, to hear the birds and soak up the atmosphere, she says.
Rob is particularly proud of the kitchen, which he designed himself with a bit of help from his cousin, the joiner on the project. “We wanted a simple kitchen with a focus on seamless storage,” says Aimy, “and Rob’s done a fantastic job, in the kitchen, scullery and laundry.”
The couple’s experience in building homes and real estate is apparent throughout the home. Aimy
has clear ideas of what works where. For instance, she prefers to tile just two walls of a bathroom, but with floor to ceiling tiling on those walls, she says. “That way, it’s not overpowering, but you still get that feeling of style and luxury.”
Colours were chosen to complement the natural surroundings. For example, the cedar is stained dark brown to match the ponga trees that line the creek.
As the South Island’s only accredited dealer for Aqua Technics pools, NOVAspace has supplied and installed a premium, in-ground fibreglass swimming pool here, to be enjoyed by all the family.
Thanks to Matt’s expertise and project coordination skills, the only real challenge of this build was dealing with requirements from the creek and negotiating materials coming onto the section via a purpose-built iron bridge over the creek. “We had to create a robust entry point onto the section before we could even think about demolition of the previous home and construction of the new one,” says Matt.
It’s this foresight and diligence that really shows itself in the creation of this home. Other key ingredients are the tight-knit relationships that ensured good service for Aimy and Rob.
“Many of my contractors are old St Andrew’s College students,” says Matt. “The plumber, plasterer and scaffolder, for example. And my carpenter has been working for me for many years – he’s from St Andrew’s, too. When building homes, he cares for them like they’re his own.”
Aimy agrees, saying she was delighted with the craftsmanship as well as the suggestions and adaptations that Matt and his team brought to the project. “They cared for this home as much as we did. Matt was great at coming with me to choose products for the home. I even remember he came on a drive around the local suburbs with me and Rob as we were selecting what exterior cladding to go with.”
United by their former school days, these collaborators have remained firm friends through this build process. They all share an unwavering commitment to excellence and a desire for creating spaces that really epitomise comfortable, functional and stylish family living.
Involved in this project
BUILDER
CCL Builders
021 278 8894
cclbuilders.co.nz
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER
Figure & Ground
03 352 4333
figureandground.co.nz
EXTERIOR PLASTER CLADDING
Resene Construction Systems
Tamou Contracting
027 630 3203
tamou.co.nz
JOINERY
East Joinery
021 138 3119
eastjoinery.co.nz
AQUA TECHNICS POOL
NOVAspace Pools
021 514 288
novaspace.nz
TILES
MO Tiles
03 338 0155
motiles.co.nz
