| 101 T T Anne Boswell Affordable architecturally designed homes That dream is reflected in his own home in Cass Bay, which stands as a showcase for Harris Builders’ values.T he four-bedroom house, complete with a small office, two bathrooms and a separate toilet, was designed with both creativity and practicality in mind. Harris Builders BUILDING When Sam Harris returned to New Zealand after years of working abroad, he brought home more than just construction expertise—he brought a vision. With over 15 years of experience spanning commercial construction, residential building and heritage restoration, Sam founded Harris Builders (formerly S.C. Harris Builders) in Christchurch in 2015. His dream? To make architecturally designed homes accessible to everyday people, particularly those living in the Banks Peninsula/Lyttelton/Port Hills area. Sam’s passion for heritage buildings originally guided his work. Over the past decade, Harris Builders has been deeply involved in custom renovations of 1900s villas and bungalows, projects that sharpened Sam’s eye for detail and his appreciation of craftsmanship. But as he and his partner settled into Banks Peninsula, buying a section in Cass Bay, Sam became more determined to challenge what he saw as a lack of imagination in modern housing design. “I don’t want architecturally designed homes to be out of reach for the working class,” he says. “And I don’t want people to think that they can only afford cookie-cutter homes. We want to work with people to achieve their dream home within their budget and offer a more personalised build experience that you don’t get with one of the large subdivision-type home builders.” That dream is reflected in his own home in Cass Bay, which stands as a showcase for Harris Builders’ values. The four-bedroom house, complete with a small office, two bathrooms and a separate toilet, was designed with both creativity and practicality in mind. Situated on the slopes overlooking Lyttelton Harbour, the south-facing property needed to be carefully designed to capture the sun and natural light as much as possible. So, the home’s living room features massive stacker doors on either side that open up to connect the space seamlessly with its surroundings. “You can sit out the back of the home and look right through the house to the harbour,” Sam says. A front viewing deck provides another vantage point—particularly welcome in summer when the cooler breezes roll in. Adding to the home’s character is a separate garage connected to the main house via a floating staircase, an architectural nod to California-style living. That creativity, combined with a commitment to collaboration, underpins Harris Builders’ ethos. “We are a small business, so we want long term relationships with people,” Sam says. “We believe that collaboration between the client, builder, designer and subtrades is the key to a good result. “It’s all about having the right people involved. We have built long-term partnerships with a network of tradies that we can rely on.” Honesty is another hallmark of the company’s approach, with Sam priding himself on being realistic and straightforward with clients. “We are realistic, down to earth, ‘old school’ builders, with a focus on high quality workmanship,” he says. With its emphasis on quality, strong communication and bespoke design, Harris Builders hopes to attract clients in Lyttelton, Port Hills, and across Banks Peninsula who want more than just a standard home. For Sam, every project is an opportunity to push back against the ordinary and prove that architecturally designed homes don’t have to be exclusive—they can, and should, be within reach of everyone. Christchurch's Most Trusted Painter Interior | Exterior | Residential Light Commercial | Paperhanging Contact Us John 022 176 2987 | john@cpd.net.nz Sean 022 306 1790 | sean@cpd.net.nz cpd.net.nz
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