DESIGNER VISION - Radius Building

ABODE MAGAZINE – Featured Article, July/August 2023

Words: Kathy Catton Photography: Andrew O’Sullivan and Grant Mangin

https://www.abodemagazine.co.nz/home/2023/7/3/designer-vision

Talented couple Andrew and Andrea Hopping have given the site of their earthquake-damaged villa a new lease of life, thanks to the work of Radius Building and Foley Group Architecture.

A quintessential 1910 New Zealand villa in the heart of St Albans was the perfect spot for Andrew and Andrea to raise a family. With great neighbours and an ideal location for schools, it ticked all the boxes.

But then the Christchurch earthquakes struck, and the original structure no longer held its appeal.

“The house shook when the dog ran around inside, and dust had a habit of collecting in one corner,” says Andrea. While the insurance covered the cost of new foundations, when the time came to repile the home, it quickly became apparent that an upgrade was required.

“It was a great villa for bringing up our family, but it had done its time,” says Andrea. “We knew we had to start again.”

Andrea and her husband Andrew were familiar with the building industry, so they seemed unphased by undertaking such a project. As a Director at Foley Group Landscape Design, Andrea was adept at working with clients to design homes, interiors and landscapes. Andrew, whose family own Montreux Furniture, oversees the interior design resource centre DesignMade. This resource allowed access to the very best interior products, so it meant he could call on his contacts to get the job done.

The couple’s first point of call was Radius Building. Andrea had previously worked with Richard Fantham, Company Director and Project Manager at Radius Building. “Richard was known to us for being that builder who always comes up with solutions,” says Andrea. “He also knows the way we live, and he really ‘gets’ us, so it was an easy decision to choose Richard and Radius Building.”

Although Andrea and Andrew concepted the home themselves, Dulcie Brown, Principal Architect at Foley Group Architecture took these concepts and transformed them into a well thought out design. As Andrea says, “Architect Dulcie Brown, through her meticulous tailoring, captured the essence of us and our brief, sculpting the ideas we had, into our home.”

The design brief was to create a home that integrates family life with entertaining. It was decided early on to locate the three family bedrooms on the first floor and keep the ground floor as open and flexible as possible for entertaining.

“The challenge was to keep the building mass within the permitted zone created by the boundary recession planes,” explains Dulcie. “It led naturally to a long, narrow home. This is expressed externally with a strong extruded gable form which presents a bold frontage to the street and opens up at the rear to provide the master bedroom with views to the garden.” By having two storeys it also allowed for the ground floor spaces to have maximum connection to the garden areas, a must-have for the family.

St Albans architecturally designed two storey home living room log burner and colonial windows

Richard was involved early in the process so he and his team were able to advise on selections on finer construction detailing as the project progressed. For example, Radius Building’s experienced team was able to input on detailing such as hidden exterior doors, illuminated stairs and the positioning of fixtures.

“This home was very much built by collaboration,” says Richard. “The copper entry door is a great example of that. It involved seven different companies to ensure
the finished product performed as required – from the joiner and electrician to the steel supplier and locksmith. My foreman Garry brought all the details together and
managed these contractors brilliantly.”

‘Richard was known to us for being that builder who always comes up with solutions. He also knows the way we live, and he really ‘gets’ us, so it was an easy decision to choose Richard and Radius Building.’

- Andrea

The finished home is in stark contrast to the original villa, but with equal doses of charm. The original footprint has been maintained, but instead of a series of small rooms, the home now has an open plan kitchen, living and dining area, a beautifully interconnected outdoor space and bedrooms and bathrooms now upstairs.

“The couple had a very clear view on the aesthetic style they wanted to create,” says Dulcie. “A sophisticated fusion of rural styling, city chic with industrial New York loft apartment vibes. We worked closely with Andrea and Andrew to ensure their vision was integrated into the fabric of the home, inside and out.”

“We’ve created space and function in our family home,” says Andrew. “It’s practical but not compromised in any way.” Despite the narrow site and TC3 land, the couple didn’t want to go beyond the recession plane’s envelope. For them, the relationship with their neighbours was too important for that, so they found a way to build mindfully and with purpose.

“Everything is fit-for-purpose,” says Andrea. She goes on to say that they were careful to re-use what they could of the old section. “We had to clear the site, but we wanted the trees to remain and only lost two pear trees from the front – and they went to Richard’s home! The landscaping we initially undertook all those years ago when we moved into the villa still remains – even down to the veggie patch.”

The home’s central hub also houses the old dining table from the original villa, and the timber flooring chosen speaks to that traditional homeliness of a villa. “The old villa had cathedral glass windows – we’ve kept that look and feel in the new home, but just with black cathedral style windows instead of white.” Andrew’s business, Designmade, meant the couple were lucky enough to have a range of products available to choose from. Rugs, blinds, bedding, flooring, fabrics, wallpapers, benchtops and furniture were all sourced from the various tenants at the showroom. The furniture is a showcase of the quality and variety of what Montreux Furniture produces.

St Albans architecturally designed two storey home modern kitchen timber floor cedar ceiling

“All our furniture is handmade in Christchurch, and we have a firm focus on sustainability,” says Andrew. “It’s great to keep things as local as possible, especially at a time like Covid.”

The pandemic presented the only significant challenge to this project. “In my 21 years in the building industry, 2022 was the hardest year to get things done!” says Richard. But never one to rest on his laurels, Richard worked meticulously with his scheduling software and main suppliers to order products well in advance and split the construction project into various sections, so as to allow progress to continue despite the Covid-imposed delays.

The bonus of Richard’s large shed at his home meant he required materials could be ordered in advance and stored securely if they arrived early.

“Andrea and Andrew trusted me from the start, and I really appreciated this,” says Richard. “When decisions did need to be made quickly (on materials or product changes), they were decisive. They understood the unusual challenges that Covid brought and supported us with a no-pressure approach at a very challenging time.”

The couple is equally complimentary of Richard, with Andrea stating, “We encouraged Richard’s input all the way through; his expertise and communication during the Covid disruptions were essential”.

With half a year of living in the new space under their belts, the couple are happy with their new home. “I love the kitchen,” says Andrea. “It’s a pleasure to cook in there now, and to have a garage included in the envelope has been superb.”

Andrew agrees and also loves the master bedroom’s upper deck, which welcomes the late afternoon sun. “It feels like we’re in the Mediterranean,” he says.

While the traditional villa may be gone, this new home is just as much adored and perfectly reflects the family that lives there – now on the next chapter of their journey.

https://www.abodemagazine.co.nz/home/2023/7/3/designer-vision