8 minute read
INNER-CITY HAVEN
A move to the centre of town has proved just the ticket for the delighted owners of this elegant home in Christchurch’s CBD, built by M O Brown Builders Limited.
WORDS ANNA SCAIFE PHOTOGRAPHY JAMIE ARMSTRONG
When it came to finding the site for their new home, the owners of this fabulous new build went about it the old-fashioned way. Jackie and Tony lost a home to the earthquakes in Sumner and spent some time in West Melton before deciding that life at the city’s heart was a good fit for them. To find the right spot, Jackie took to the streets and did her homework, tracing the owners of empty lots and making contact to see if they wanted to sell. Eventually, she struck a deal and from then on, the couple’s new home became her labour of love.
The section is long and narrow, at 10 metres wide and 50 metres long the challenge was to design a home that worked in the space. Jackie and Tony called on friend and architect, Chris Prebble from Three Sixty Architecture. “Chris had built his own home in the city, and he was our natural choice to design our house. We love his style,” says Jackie.
Jackie sourced quotes from several building companies. While researching, she stumbled across M O Brown Builders’ website and made contact with directors Mike and Lisa Brown. “I
WINDOW COVERINGS
Curtains and blinds throught the home were thoughfully chosen from the wide selection at McKenzie & Willis.
DINING TABLE
The timber herringbone design built-in dining table was handcrafted by Southern Creations.
INTERIOR The feature staircase was created by Christchurch Wrought Iron & Metalwork and includes a powder-coated black steel handrail and single spine stair springer.
liked the look of some of the homes they’d built, and when I got in contact, I found Mike and Lisa were lovely people. I knew we would be able to work together,” says Jackie.
Approaching the design with architect Chris, Jackie and Tony brainstormed all the things they would want in the perfect home. From there, they created an ideas board and budget to hand over to Three Sixty Architecture. Of everything they asked for, the three-car garaging and an easy indoor-outdoor flow were the non-negotiables for the couple. The completed design is a two-storey home with a total floor area of 330 square metres encompassing three bedrooms, two living rooms, ensuite plus family bathroom, a large study, and 48 square metres of balconies on the first floor.
“The initial challenge of this site is that the northern aspect is facing the street, so maximising sun was the main challenge. To overcome this, we have programmed the spaces so that the main living is upstairs and has a north-facing balcony.
EXTERIOR
The Architectural Roofing Company supplied and installed the Snap Lock roofing and cladding in Magnaflow Black Low Gloss.
OUTDOOR LIVING
The Johnson & Couzins’ SkyLouvres feature in many areas of the home, including the opening roof, sliding Atlantis shutters and fixed privacy SkyLouvre.
The balcony allows for separation or engagement with the street through the use of sliding screens and shutters,” says Nick Wortelboer of Three Sixty Architecture.
The tricky site created challenges for the build team, but with many architectural builds in their portfolio, the M O Brown Builders team took it in their stride.
“We have a lot of experience with architectural homes both on the flat and on the hills, and we have an expert team around us who are happy to go the extra mile to achieve a quality outcome. We all enjoy working on bespoke builds, and this is an excellent example of a unique and interesting home,” says Mike Brown.
Jackie was heavily involved in the project management process from start to finish, and she says the trick is always thinking ahead and planning carefully for the next steps, so nothing is missed. Having developed several properties to sell, she admits it is different when it’s your own home. “There’s more at stake personally I guess, and of course you’re more likely to stretch that budget a little bit to get what you want.”
Moving into the completed home in October 2019, it wasn’t long until their comfort levels were put to the acid test when the country went into lockdown the following autumn. “That was a strange time, but we did just love it here. We both thought, ‘wow – this is just so cool’. The home is a real haven for us. We enjoyed the pool. The garden is sheltered and a beautiful place to be. And there were people around; we could chat with neighbours, walk in the park and down to the river. It was idyllic.”
A striking building from the road frontage, the geometric shapes translate into unique spaces inside. Natural timber is used to stunning effect on the exterior and to line the entranceway as a backdrop to the staircase. “It was really nice to see some of the finer details come through, the staircase, the louvres along the western boundary and the seamless garage door are all highlights,” says Nick from Three Sixty Architecture.
Whether you’re a home builder, contractor, developer, architect or project manager, we understand the intricacies of constructing quality concrete slab foundations that will stand the test of time.
M: 027 535 0113 E: craig@solidbearing.co.nz
TILES
Tiled floors throughout the home are completed in Arkistone Griege from Naturally Tiles.
KITCHEN
The sleek and spacious kitchen by MacKay Kitchens and Stairs incorporates doors and panels in Prime Laminate Black Velvet in soft matt, with the feature colour Prime Laminate Surrender in a soft matt finish. The benchtop is A-tech techno porcelain in Calacatta OMG.
Suppliers of top quality kitchens, stairs and household joinery to Christchurch builders, developers and home owners.
mks.co.nz
03 365 3988
MASTER ENSUITE
The striking vanity features doors and panels in Prime Melamine Nordic Ash and a Caesar stone top in Snow manufactured and installed by Mackay Kitchen and Stairs.
OUTDOOR LIVING
Decking from Outdure was selected to create the multiple outdoor living areas to make the most of the sun throughout the day.
The natural choice for unique design
Showroom: 13 Mandeville Street, Christchurch P 03 343 0933 E heather@naturallytiles.co.nz naturallytiles.co.nz
On an exacting architectural build like this one, teamwork and relationships onsite were crucial to the success of the project. Mike from M O Brown Builders says, “With Jackie and Tony’s home a great client/builder relationship made for a smooth process and a quality result which all parties can be proud of. There was a good mix of client and builder sub-trades who worked together, focusing on the same quality result. Everyone knew this was a special home that required some special attention.”
This attention to detail and focus on the client is what the M O Brown Builders team brings to all of their projects. Mike says, “We as a team always want to exceed expectations and leave a completed project with happy clients. Happy clients are where our next referrals come from.”
Jackie and Tony certainly fit into the category of happy clients. When asked about their favourite aspects of the house, they agree the kitchen is a standout. Jackie says the built-in bar-height table is a favourite feature and the space has become a family hub and entertaining area that works perfectly.
Jackie says, “We love living in the centre of town. We can walk to bars and restaurants. The location is brilliant. We are very happy here, and the builder and the architects did such a great job. Both were so easy to work with. It’s a great result.”
GATES
The fence panels and multi-leaf sliding gate were fabricated from perforated aluminium panels on steel frames and powder coated by Christchurch Wrought Iron and Metalwork.
BUILDER
M O Brown Builders Limited 027 439 2527 mobrown.co.nz
ARCHITECTURE
Three Sixty Architecture 03 366 3349 threesixtyarch.co.nz
INTERIOR DESIGN & DRAPERY
McKenzie & Willis 03 341 3380 mckenzieandwillis.co.nz
TILES
Naturally Tiles 03 343 0933 naturallytiles.co.nz
INTERIOR JOINERY
Mackay Kitchens and Stairs 03 365 3988 mks.co.nz
HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE
Southern Creations 03 384 7097 southerncreations.co.nz
STAIRCASE AND GATES
Christchurch Wrought Iron and Metalwork Ltd 03 339 7277 christchurchwroughtiron.co.nz
LOUVRES
Johnson & Couzins 0800 664 083 johnsonandcouzins.com
FOUNDATIONS
Solid Bearing Ltd 03 349 9149 solidbearing.co.nz
DECKING
Outdure 0800 77 88 77 outdure.com
ROOFING AND EXTERIOR CLADDING
The Architectural Roofing Company 03 335 0462 tarc.co.nz
CONTACT US TODAY M: 027 439 2527 E: mobrownbuilders@xtra.co.nz
