This character home in St Martins, Christchurch, has been a very special project for Chaplin Crooks Architects. We first worked on it in 2003, undertaking an upper-level addition to create additional bedrooms for a growing young family. We have also had the privilege of working on it a second time about twenty years after our first involvement, this time to manage the earthquake repair project as well as another addition.
The earthquake repair was very complex, involving lifting the house high in the air so the foundation system could be completely replaced. The solid brick chimney was replaced with a lightweight brick slip chimney over a fibreglass and steel substructure, we were able to salvage and reuse original decorative bricks to precisely recreate the original chimney’s appearance.
Renovation and alteration work undertaken concurrently with the earthquake repairs gave an opportunity to update the appearance of the home, as well as constructing a light-filled kitchen and dining room addition. We were able to reuse many salvaged elements such as arch-shaped timber window joinery and the original mantlepiece from around the fireplace, and new timber window joinery was detailed to match the shape and patterned glass types used in the original home.
The house is located among many established trees, and we had to take care to protect their roots when foundation work was undertake. A large rhododendron was the most important tree to our clients, as it is covered in pink flowers each spring. We designed the addition to overlook this tree, and it opens straight out to a secluded terrace that sits under the tree’s canopy.
