60 | Callidus Architects T T Rosa Watson A real love of heritage and character In addition to their architectural services, Callidus also offer consultancy services for heritage assessments. ARCHITECTURE A love of older buildings with an infusion of Scandinavian heritage has created a niche market for Featherston-based architects Callidus Architects. Founding director and Architect Mona Kruse Hurnen emigrated to New Zealand from Denmark, bringing with her a love of heritage buildings and character homes. The company specialises in renovating character homes and breathing new life into them, and Mona believes her Scandinavian heritage mixed with a New Zealand can-do attitude provides her experienced team with a practical approach to design and construction in New Zealand. She realised her passion for restoration when she first set out in the industry. “I enjoyed renovating old homes as my initial first job, and I thought maybe that’s a way to make a living. “It’s just that transformation of spaces, and seeing (clients) … living in these spaces, and how it just improves their lives, and how happy they becomes.” While architects in New Zealand focused on new builds, back in Denmark there was more of a focus on restoration, she said. “The dream in New Zealand as an architect is to build a new house, whereas the reality in Denmark is a lot of the time you’re actually just renovating the existing stock because it’s of really high quality but you’re just upgrading it to suit today’s living. “And I thought, well I like doing this sort of stuff. I was not so attracted to modern minimalist living.” Such is her expertise in the area, Mona regularly speaks at conferences and to special interest groups in the heritage renovation field in New Zealand and overseas. She also writes extensively on heritage and contributes to various professional publications. In addition to their architectural services, Callidus also offer consultancy services for heritage assessments, analysis for AEEs (Assessments of Environmental Effects), investigations of heritage sites, conservation plans and detailing, heritage recording and inventory and heritage management plans. They also offer project management with contract establishment, pricing process, onsite administration and onsite cost control. The company is a member of Heritage New Zealand and Historic Places Wellington. To make life easy for clients, the company has provided some handy tools on its website for approaching a renovation project, including a free e-booklet called 7 Mistakes People Make When Renovating, a Project Planning Pack, and a Blueprint Report to discuss ideas with the team. One high profile project the firm worked on was the restoration and extension of a Bernard Johns-designed home at Lowry Bay, Wellington. The original 110sqm cottage has stood for 100 years in Lowry Bay with stunning beach front views but was in dire need of restoration. It was in such bad shape that demolition was considered, but the owner chose to retain as much of the original as possible. When Callidus was commissioned for the project, the client wanted to alter and extend the building in keeping with the period of the original 1920s style. The team visited as many Bernard Johns designed houses as possible and in researching his style, along with the arts and craft style of that era. The goal was to design the additions and alterations as Bernard Johns himself might have envisioned. The home is now 380sqm over two storeys, with four bedrooms in the main house and a separate guest wing behind. The project required craftsmen on site in order to make the scotia, architraves, skirting boards and balustrades suitable for an arts and crafts home. It received a Highly Commended award at the Trends International Design Awards in 2015 in the architect-designed Bathroom section. Proud to be working alongside Callidus Architects 027 306 8982 | toby@trueconstruction.co.nz
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=