Project story: Case study 3

Taylors Ave House

Location: Canterbury, New Zealand

 

Earthquake forces owner into making difficult decisions

When the Canterbury Earthquake struck many people who never intended to carry out a building project were suddenly thrust into the position of needing to decide whether to rebuild or sell their land and buy another home. The owner of this house was determined to rebuild on a site she loved. The widow of a farmer she had made the move to town. There she found a perfect home for the later years of her medical career and subsequent retirement. The property was a rear section giving the privacy she desired. The house was single story with only small level changes so almost ideal for aging in place. However, the main attraction was the garden which she had shaped to make her own. This was something she could not give up. So the decision was made to rebuild when the house was assessed as beyond economic repair.

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Much loved existing property

The property had an ideal east west orientation allowing all living and bedrooms to have north sun and garden outlook. The existing house was located too far to the west which limited the amount of outdoor space receiving after noon sun. There was excess space to the east with the vehicle turn around and service court being larger than needed. On behalf of the owner, we negotiated with the insurer to shift the new house to the east. This was outside the strict terms of the policy. We pointed out that there would be no additional cost and in fact this move would result in shorter service connections and potentially a cost saving and so they agreed.

 

Negotiating the need to design to the original footprint

Keeping within the original footprint was another insurer condition. The house was reasonably well planned so this was not an issue. However, there were planning improvements the owner wished to make and we came up with design options for these. While these changes resulted in some betterment cost for the owner, we again negotiated with the insurer demonstrating how some of the changes resulted in a simpler build and less cost. These changes included a single floor level and eliminating the number of external and internal corners. They accepted our proposals and we proceeded to documentation, knowing there would be no surprises for the owner from the insurer.

 

Difficult geotechnical conditions

The original house was designed by David Brocherie when he was a draftsman at the Ministry of Works. The house had a double concrete slab with a 50mm site concrete slab as a substrate to a bitumen water proofing membrane and a 100mm structural slab over. This was a common MOW detail . The structure was timber framed with concrete block veneer, some vertical shiplap weather boards and concrete tile roof. The sites Geotech required lightweight roofing and wall cladding so the block veneer and concrete tiles had to go. The owner was happy to change to a corrugated steel roof. For cladding she still wanted a portion of timber with the balance of the cladding being lower maintenance than timber. We suggested fibre cement to the south, east and west walls which would only need painting every 10 years or more if well maintained. The fibre cement is painted white as a reference back to the white painted concrete block of the original house. For the north wall we suggested vertical shiplap with a stain finish to provide some warmth and texture. The existing weather boards were painted but stain had been the original finish.

 

Developing a new foundation system

The site had suffered from liquefaction but fortunately the double slab design prevented this entering the house even with a badly damaged slab. We were determined to ensure liquefaction would not enter the house in a future event. We also had to ensure the house could be releveled as settlement was a real risk in another EQ event. At the time several re-levelable slab options were being developed but we felt we could come up with a better option. We wanted to have the floor at a higher level to avoid liquification entering the house. Raised floors require work within confined spaces when releveling. We wanted to remove this health and safety risk. Many of the releveling options were also very invasive when releveling was required. We wanted to minimise the amount of disturbance to the building’s interior during releveling. Our concept was to have an elevated slab supported on two foundation beams running east west the full length of the house. The slab would span in the short north south direction. We sourced an engineer open to this new re-leveable foundation design. The foundation beams are 600mm high by 400mm wide and can span the soft ground. The slab has a 600mm cantilever beyond the foundation line along the north and south sides of the house. Any settlement following an earthquake can easily and safely be done from outside the building by installing jacks under the cantilever. The connections between the slab and the foundations beams would then be loosened so that only the slab was lifted. Once the slab was level the gap between the underside of slab and the top of the beam would be filled before the slab connections were retightened. This solution was safe, quick economic and had minimal impact of the interior.

 

Avoiding a large roof area to the long plan

We wanted to break up the roof rather than have an expansive roof running the full length of the house and attached double garage. We gave the garage and main house their own gabled roofs. The link between them containing the entrance and laundry has a low pitch roof.

 

Special features of the new design

We wanted to give the owner some special features to make this home unique to her. She had a number of grand children who enjoyed staying with their gran. She had mentioned they would come into her room in the morning for a cuddle and a book. We designed a bay window into the west wall of the main bedroom where she could snuggle up with a grandchild. We were pleased to know that the bay window gets a lot of use. The new plan like the old has a study space off the living room. The original south facing study was a littler dark and had little connection to the living. We designed the walls that were short of the ceiling with glazing above giving acoustic privacy and allowing light from the living space. A large cavity slider allows the study to be incorporated into the living space during family social occasions such as Christmas. The original house had lots of New Zealand Orgon timber beam which were rough sawn and dark stained. These were a common design feature of mid-century houses, but the client wanted something a less masculine, more refined and lighter. We negotiated with the insurer and swapped the dark beams for a warm plywood ceiling.

Taylors Ave House

Location: Canterbury, New Zealand

 

A rebuild born from loss, shaped by resilience, and filled with warmth.

 

A PLACE TOO LOVED TO LEAVE

When the Canterbury earthquake struck, many people were forced to make decisions they never thought they would have to make. Rebuild or move on. Hilary’s home sat quietly at the back of a section, tucked away from the street. It was a single-level house surrounded by the garden she had created herself. Private, sunny, and peaceful. The kind of place that grows around you and becomes part of your life. When the damage was assessed and the house declared beyond repair, the loss felt personal. It wasn’t just about bricks and walls, but the memories they held. Selling would have been the easier choice, but it would have meant leaving behind her garden and the place that had grounded her for so long. Hilary chose to stay and rebuild. To create a new home that would keep the warmth and character of the original, while being safe, efficient, and ready for the future.

 

WORKING WITH LIMITS

Rebuilding on the same site brought several challenges. The insurer required the new house to stay within the original footprint and follow the same general layout, leaving little room to improve the connection between the spaces and the garden. The site had suffered from liquefaction, which meant we had to rethink the foundations entirely to cope with softer ground. The original double slab had protected the house during the earthquake, but the new structure needed to perform even better if the land shifted again. Geotechnical conditions also ruled out the use of heavy materials. The concrete block veneer and roof tiles of the old home had to be replaced with lighter alternatives. Together, these constraints shaped every decision that followed.

 

THOUGHTFUL SOLUTIONS

Each challenge called for clear and practical thinking. We worked with the insurer to move the house slightly east so the garden could get more afternoon sun. This didn’t add cost but made a big difference to how the home feels. The layout stayed much the same, but we removed small level changes so the whole house sits on one easy floor. A new foundation system was designed with an engineer. Two long beams run underneath the house, supporting a raised concrete floor. If the ground ever moves again, the floor can be lifted safely from outside without disturbing the inside of the home. The old materials were replaced with lighter ones better suited to the site. White-painted fibre cement cladding keeps the look of the original home, while vertical timber on the north wall adds warmth and texture. Inside, the dark beams were changed to plywood ceilings that make the light softer. The study near the living area now has glass panels above the walls and a large sliding door so it can open up for family gatherings. Hilary had told us her grandchildren often joined her in the mornings for a book. So we added a bay window to her bedroom. A sunny seat where those moments could continue.

 

A HOME RENEWED

The completed home feels both new and familiar. Light moves easily through every room, and the garden that once shaped Hilary’s days still sits at the heart of the house. The shift in layout brought more sunlight and a stronger connection between indoors and outdoors. The new foundations have given the home a quiet strength. It feels safe and steady, ready for whatever might come next. Inside, the spaces feel calm and warm. The soft timber ceiling and pale finishes bring an easy sense of comfort. Hilary often described it as a happy house. The new owners later said they were discovering just how nice it is. That simple line says everything about what the home was always meant to be. A place that feels good to live in.

 

WORDS FROM HILARY

“Our family had some wonderful times there and as well as being a lovely home, we always described it as a happy house. The new owners told me they are discovering just how nice the house is. That made me smile.”