A striking design by Archon Architecture is the eye-catching replacement for a quake-damaged house in Ōtautahi.

WORDS Cassie Doherty PHOTOGRAPHY Hamish Storey

The concrete-look Rockcote Integra plaster system was integral to the aesthetic the clients wanted to achieve. The service was provided by award-winning specialists, Frame Contracting,

“Something a little bit different.” That was the overall brief from the clients for Lincoln Amor of Archon Architecture.

After the devastating Christchurch earthquakes of 2010-11, the clients’ original home had to be demolished and rebuilt, and they decided to develop this new house with the intention of selling it. They were very clear about what they had in mind, says Lincoln.

“Wow factor,” he says. “And they definitely wanted something modern and sleek.” That felt like the right fit for this area, in Papanui.

The checklist also required three bedrooms, two living spaces, a home office, and to maximise the outdoor space.

All in a day’s work for Lincoln. It’s easier when they know what they want, he says. “We pretty much landed on the concept almost straight away. It was plain sailing.”

The footprint was dictated mainly by the shape of the site, boundary setbacks and other regulations. It’s on a corner section, and it’s narrow. Plus it’s on quite a busy road.

“It was a perfect site in terms of its orientation and getting the afternoon sun,” says Lincoln. “We are a lot closer to the street than usual, which matches the footprint of the original house.” This means the design could make good use of the outdoor areas.

“It worked really well with the orientation of the living areas with the bedrooms above, and to give a bit of shading to those outdoor areas. That’s how we landed on the long, linear look.”

At 325sqm, Lincoln says, the house is a good size. He and architectural graduate Dan Kingan both worked on the drawings, giving it a clean, efficient layout. Lincoln is especially very happy with the flow through into the living area that opens up between indoors and out. “Just the amount of light that comes in,” he enthuses. Full-height doors and tall ceilings capitalise on that.

Kitchen concepts are often vital to a house design and Lincoln has strong preferences. “I like big kitchens. I like lots of bench space, but I don’t like overhead cupboards so much. The kitchen that you see from the living area here is pretty minimal – just the island. Almost all of the storage and the main working area is behind the kitchen in the scullery, so hopefully that’s where the mess stays.

A kitchen must be nice and open, with lots of space, and it should be an easy kitchen to use.”

While he loves the orientation of the sun on this site, he also had to control it. “The main consideration was to stop overheating. We wanted it light and bright but not overly hot.”

Upstairs window placement was carefully thought through. The main hallway was treated as a gallery, with narrow windows that let in light and snippets of views but not strong sun. Wall space was also left for artwork.

The louvres that are so bold on the exterior are functional, too, adding privacy and even more shelter. “The bedrooms needed solar protection because they are facing west,” says Lincoln.

This was always intended to be a cosy, comfortable and energy-efficient home. There’s a high level of ceiling insulation, and all the window joinery is double-glazed and thermally broken. Downstairs there is under-slab heating in the polished concrete floors, and upstairs there is ducted heating.

In terms of aesthetics, the jewel in the crown is the main bedroom, prominent in its position on the end of the top level and designed to be noticed with impressive finned louvres. “The master bedroom is a feature, with that sliding window and Juliet balcony. It’s a statement. And when you sit in bed, the outlook from the first floor is quite nice.”

The drama continues with the choice of exterior materials: warm cedar weatherboards combined with a Resene Rockcote Integra plaster system with a concrete look. “We didn’t want just white or light grey,” says Lincoln. “We wanted to have a bit of texture. From a distance, it really looks like polished concrete.”

The clients love the look. “We were always set on a concrete and timber look and the clients liked it with the polished concrete inside as well. It looks good, it’s a point of difference, and it’s not overly expensive to do.”

Archon Architecture finished off the entire look with input into the hardscaping design and some clever lighting. “It’s easy to go over the top with lighting. It’s really about being practical, and highlighting the features.”

Lincoln enjoyed this project. “It was great to see it finished and looking really sharp.”

After a long time in the industry and 10 years in his own practice Archon Architecture, Lincoln says he always loves the challenges. “We do a bit of everything; all sorts of projects all over the country, including bigger commercial work, which is quite fun. But it’s also good working with people to come up with a house that they’re passionate about. It was nice doing a house like this.”