Mid-century inspiration

The owners of this light-filled house had a very clear vision from the start. Nick Cowdy of Cowdy Real Estate and Prue Johnstone of Johnstone Callaghan Architects drew inspiration for their family home from a love of mid-century design.

“The Christchurch Style was at the forefront of the brief,” says architect Prue. “It was a nice visual language to start with.” Prue worked alongside Johnstone Callaghan director Mike Callaghan on the design. The two architects took the best features of the much-admired mid-century Christchurch Style and applied them in modern ways.

“We almost treated Nick as the client and I was on the design team and straddled both worlds,” says Prue. “Nick had been thinking about it for a long time before we even met and had been living in an earthquake damaged home on the site for some years. His experience of living on the site was the starting point for the brief.” During the design process the couple’s two sons now aged two and four were born. While this meant a more demanding schedule for Prue and Nick; the single-level living and open plan layout of the design have provided a dream first home for the young family.

The close connection of both client and architect was well supported by a long-standing friendship between Nick and builder Daniel Hubber of DRH Building. “Nick and Dan have been friends since they worked together as drivers during a season on the Colorado ski slopes many years ago,” says Prue. “Dan and his team made it a really enjoyable experience. Nick loves the building process and spent time on site during the build.”

Not only was it a good experience to work with a close friend, Dan was also deeply committed to the plans, executing every architectural detail with an exceptional level of skill. “Anytime we proposed a detail it was a conversation with Dan and he brought a lot of knowledge and problem solving to how we might achieve things,” says Prue. “The experience that Dan was able to bring led to a better outcome.”

Daniel embraced the challenge of crafting the timber detailing throughout the home and says: “We worked together closely on the whole project so were in regular communication. Nick and Prue were very involved with the details and it was a really good working relationship between the three of us.” The aesthetic style both inside and out, follows the modest, honest simplicity of mid-century style. The exterior features Euro Modus bricks in Nieve and lintel bricks in Euro Modus Ceniza from Midland Brick NZ. Warm wooden features such as cedar on the garage door and on the soffit as you enter the house along with macrocarpa posts, work in tone with the overall palette of the home. The 250 square-metre, four-bedroom home unfolds over three low-slung forms on a long, narrow site that expands in volume as you walk through. The central hallway opens up at the end to skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows that invite the outdoors in with light and gardens views.

The interiors flow on from the exterior materials, honing in on warmth and tactility, harnessing light and red oak architectural detailing and roof beams that circle back to that admired ‘Christchurch Style’. The white walls and ceilings were expertly finished by DJ Parkyn Painting and Decorating with paints from Resene.

The timber lined door nook with seat and storage is one of Prue and Nick’s favourite features in the home. “It’s at the end of the long hallway and you get that look straight down the building and out to the exterior so it’s this really lovely moment where you compress and then open up into the outdoor area,” says Prue. Bespoke timber veneered cabinetry in the open plan living space complements the timber detailing on the ceiling. The large skylight over the second living area gently implies that the solid beams extend under the skylights. “Some of these details weren’t the easiest to achieve,” says Prue. “Dan’s attention to detail and commitment to getting it right was amazing with a high degree of perseverance and skill required.”

A sustainable approach was taken to the materials in the home and the window system from Nulook Windows and Doors was selected for its energy efficient, healthy home credentials.

The outdoor fireplace was a key architectural piece of the home, creating a functional focal point for the garden and al fresco dining space, while catering to Christchurch’s four seasons.

The large concrete benchtop above the fireplace was another element expertly executed by Daniel and the DRH Building team. “It had always been a key part of the design and through the design process we tested various fires and chose a gas fire inside and feature Stoke woodfire outside,” says Prue.

This home was the Residential winner of the NZIA Local Award for Canterbury. The judges praised its elevated design, well-planned, well-built materially and honest simplicity. The refined craftsmanship of Daniel Hubbard and his team resulted in a Gold award at the 2025 Registered Master Builders House of the Year awards and secured the home a place in the Top 100 homes of New Zealand.

“We were thrilled,” says Prue. “It’s really lovely to see that Dan and all the contractors who worked on our home have received these awards. It’s wonderful to be recognised. It was nice that the judges could appreciate the success of it. I like that it represents a different end of a broad spectrum of award-winning homes. It is quite a simple but considered family home.”

“I really love when you just arrive and that the layered gardens at the front give you a journey through to the entry. The feeling that you get when you’re in the home is very calm, very easy and just seems light,” says Prue.

The family has enjoyed the connection to the garden, especially the two busy young boys. “It’s a very easy house to live in and our boys absolutely love the large lawn and the rock garden down the side where they have spent countless hours of time. Having single level living and being able to open the doors with a line of sight through the house and another living space to allow for separation has worked very well. The building process was all really streamlined. It was just a real pleasure and really great process in all,” says Prue.

Contact details:

DRH Building
021 110 4801
daniel@drhbuilding.co.nz
www.drhbuilding.co.nz