86 | DEVELOPMENT Brooksfield: Consortium Construction Proudly supporting Consortium Construction High quality Painting and Exterior Plastering services. TENNANT ENGINEERING SPECIALISING IN Commercial Structural Steel Residential Steelwork & Earthquake Strengthening Proudly Supporting Brooksfield Colin Tennant 027 260 1128 coltensteel@xtra.co.nz T T Karen Phelps Nostalgia and contemporary comfort Options range from the company’s traditional villa-style Aylesford, with an attic room, to townhouses and the single-level West Cottage. A former earthquake casualty is being given a new lease of life, with Brooksfield turning the long-vacant site of the old Aorangi School in Bryndwr into a new neighbourhood of heritage-inspired homes. Colwyn Gardens, on Colwyn Street, due for completion in February 2027, is already proving popular, with almost half of the homes sold after around four months of construction. “People know and love Christchurch for its architectural language,” says Brooksfield director, Vinny Holloway. “It’s sad that after the earthquake a lot of those buildings were removed and weren’t replaced with homes of a similar style. It’s nice to be able to put a bit of that traditional vibe back into Christchurch.” The development comprises 20 homes in a mixture of single-storey cottages, townhouses and apartments, creating a range of options for first-home buyers, downsizers and families. Vinny says the mix is an important part of creating a genuine community, rather than simply a collection of houses. “We wanted to create something that has a real community feeling, and having different types of homes means you get a proper village,” he says. The homes are arranged around a village square and communal green spaces, with London plane trees, a pergola and outdoor seating adding to the English-inspired character. A number of the homes have their front doors or back gates opening directly onto the shared space. Designed by London-based architect, Ben Pentreath, Colwyn Gardens combines the architectural language of traditional New Zealand homes with the comforts expected of a modern house, Vinny says. The designs include timber weatherboards, timber doors, double-hung sash windows, high studs and generous ceiling heights. Options range from the company’s traditional villa-style Aylesford, with an attic room, to townhouses and the single-level West Cottage. “We really love this style of architecture and Kiwis really like it as well,” says Vinny. “For whatever reason, people can’t or don’t want to build these sorts of homes themselves, often because of practical considerations, but we can give them that old-house style with modern comforts.” That combination of character and contemporary performance is central to Brooksfield’s approach. Its homes incorporate features such as New Zealand wool carpets, solar panels, plant-based paints and argon-filled, low-E double glazing. Inside, the classical detailing continues with traditional skirtings, architraves and cornices, along with carefully selected kitchen tapware and tiles. Outside, mature plantings, paths and fences are designed to give the developments an established feel from the outset. Vinny, a qualified builder, owns Brooksfield with co-director, Oliver Hickman, who studied property valuation at Lincoln University. Founded in 2018, the company has built around 700 homes across Christchurch, as well as having three developments in Auckland and one in Nelson. He says the intention is to offer buyers something distinctive without making heritage-inspired architecture inaccessible. “Good architecture makes a good city, and that’s why we’re developing as many nice houses as we can. “ We’re really trying to create different styles for the same price point that others are building black and white plaster boxes.” The appeal is not simply nostalgia, but creating homes that work for contemporary life while retaining some of the qualities that made Christchurch’s traditional housing distinctive. “Everyone who builds and buys homes in Christchurch is contributing to the city’s look and feel and that is quite a responsibility,” Vinny says. “At Brooksfield, we believe we need to design carefully to shape the city we want to live in.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=