Business South October 2020

| 75 Christchurch Architectural Builder Specialising in Hill Builds 30 years experience ARCHITECTURAL HOMES Contact: Steve Brown 0274 326 956 sbbuilders@xtra.co.nz NZ Award Winning Builder - Building Kiwi Homes Maximising the value of beachfront site T Kelly Deeks N ow under construction on the Sumner beach front is an impressive, striking three-storey home, whose architect gets to watch as his design takes shape, while he takes his daily run down the Esplanade. The MC Architecture Studio designed home has maximised the potential of its corner site with two dwellings, the three-storey, three-bedroom home in the front, and a one bedroom unit atop the site’s existing garage. The home previously on the section was damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes, and MC Architecture Studio was originally engaged to provide a repair strategy in 2012. After a lengthy process of working through the insurance, the owner eventually decided to rebuild, and in 2016 MC Architecture Studio got to work on concept designs. The client had options, and MC Architec- ture Studio took him through most if not all of them. “He wanted to be able to maximise the value of his site, and wasn’t sure at first whether he wanted one or two dwellings,” says MC Architecture Studio principal Max Capocaccia. “We explored a lot of options, our client eventually settled on two dwellings, and we started a detailed design in 2017.” In order to maximise the possibility of the site, MC Architecture Studio has taken the three-storey home up to the maximum height allowed. Since the rest of the neighbourhood is one- and two-storey homes, this one really stands out. It is a special project for MC Architecture Studio due to its marvellous location, and the fact the design team had the unique opportu- nity to work on a solid timber home. “Solid timber is something I always push for, and for structural reasons, it was the only op- tion available for the requirement of the brief. The house has very few walls, so solid timber was the only option for earthquake resistance and bracing. Timber framing would not have been strong enough, and a concrete structure would be strong enough, but it would also be too heavy for the site conditions.” MC Architecture Studio has used cross laminated timber (CLT) which comes as panels which are applied three to five panels thick, resulting in varying thicknesses from 135mm to 175mm and a solid timber wall with insula- tion on the outside and not in between. Max says this project’s biggest challenge was maximizing the site without having an imposing structure that was unattractive or unpleasing to the eye. “The structure is big, it’s very big, and in order to make it pleasing to the eye we have used a lot of timber on the outside and we have fragmentised the volumes. “We have strong features on the south wall and the introduction of a big tile struc- ture. This structure is a big timber canvas which we have perforated and extruded in different ways.” MC Architecture Studio has granted the client’s wish for one whole uninterrupted floor of about 80sqm for a completely open dining and living area, a structural challenge that only CLT could achieve. The MC Architecture Studio designed home has maximised the potential of its corner site with two dwellings - a three-storey, three-bedroom home in the front, and a one bedroom unit atop the site’s existing garage. aRCHItECtURE MC Architecture Studio “The colouring of the interior tiles were originally to relate directly with the sands of Sumner beach, creating a direct visual link from the home to its beach front.,” says Max. “To appropriately create this connection we sought the help and involvement of Live House Design Studio who worked with us seamlessly to source and supply the perfect tile to help bring the idea to life.” There was a joy in designing this project of working with timber, which Max says is such a beautiful, romantic material. He says CLT provides fantastic timber performance and is commonly used for floors, but rarely for walls since it is a costly solution. Max is now enjoying seeing the home com- ing up after such a long time in the planning. Completion is aimed for March 2021. “Solid timber is something I always push for, and for structural reasons, it was the only option available for the requirement of the brief.”