Driven by his passion for sustainability and informed by Homestar and the Superhome Movement, our Director Rob D'Auvergne designed this beautiful low-impact home.
Rob’s family were enjoying life in North Canterbury, but the regular travel in and out of Christchurch for work, school and kids’ sports was both time-consuming and environmentally irresponsible.
Site selection demanded relative proximity to the CBD, but with good solar orientation, shelter from prevailing winds and getting above Christchurch’s inversion layer. The property ticked all the boxes but was very steep, overgrown and criss-crossed with stormwater easements.
This required a nuanced design approach. Excavation and retaining absorbed a large proportion of the build budget, so the remainder had to be carefully balanced between high-performance construction, practical considerations of family life and touches of delight. Computer modelling facilitated cost vs. benefit analysis and the optimisation of glazing to inform design decisions.
Rob’s build proves it is not necessary to compromise on performance to create both practical and beautiful bespoke architecture.
