Description:

This dwelling is the original family home and home-office of renowned Christchurch Architect George Lucking.

Originally built in 1951 as a modest 3-bedroom 'rectangle', the house has experienced a number of additions over the years to accommodate the Lucking Family. In 1967, a new Primary Bedroom suite was added to the north-east corner, followed by a Garage and Formal Entry to the south-west corner in 1969; both of which were designed by Mr Lucking and speak of a strong architectural language of the time.

My clients (a young professional couple with two small children) purchased the house in 2020 upon their return to New Zealand from London, drawn to the houses mid-century character.

The house was largely original but in need of repair, and so it became apparent that a full restoration would be required. In addition, the living and dining room space felt under scaled for a family of four (particularly as the house boasted four bedrooms following the 1967 addition), so a further addition was needed.

The client brief requested a new living room addition and kitchen arrangement to create a more open and engaging family environment. The brief also included a faithful ‘make-good’ of the existing.

A new living room addition has been located on the north-west corner of the house, linking internally to the existing dining/sitting room and kitchen. The approach to the addition was not to create a vanity statement ‘for the architect’, but instead understand the moves the original architect had made to derive a more sensitive and holistic outcome. Each addition over the years remained complimentary to the former, although unique in form and composition to suit its location and programme. The form of the new living room addition honours this approach, adopting the strong mono-pitching roof form of the primary bedroom wing, pitching toward the west to capture afternoon sun and borrowed views of neighbouring tree canopies.

Structural interventions to accommodate the new living room layout were kept to a minimum to not disturb the spirit of the existing dwelling. A small opening was formed to provide access to the new living space adjacent to the kitchen. Like the primary bedroom addition, the new wing steps down to engage with the site and is constructed on a concrete floor slab.

Internal floor coverings were removed and existing Rimu floor boards exposed, sanded and oiled. All existing joinery elements and timberwork have been retained and restored to their original condition. New kitchen joinery is faced in smooth Rimu veneer to compliment the existing, while clearly standing as a contemporary element within the interior space. Where Rimu linings and trims have been removed to create new openings etc, the timber has been profiled to create custom cabinet surrounds and handles within the new kitchen.

This project retains and celebrates an important piece of domestic architecture in Christchurch, not only as an architects own home and home-office, but as a modest mid-century dwelling that tells a story of evolution and associated design ideas over the decades. The house has been enhanced with new insulation (from the exterior side) without compromising the fabric and character of the internal spaces.