The arts and crafts era (1880’s – 1920’s) takes a side step from the traditional New Zealand home. Recently I have spoken about The Modern Townhouse, The Transitional Home, The New Zealand State House, Art Deco Homes, Beautiful Bungalows and The New Zealand Villa. But both before and during the time of the Villa another style of house was built in New Zealand which is now dubbed the Arts and Crafts.
The Arts and Crafts architectural styles were being driven by British architects back in the years between the 1880’s and the 1920’s. The houses of the Arts and Crafts Movement were informal and unpretentious, sophisticated in a very subtle way and designs suggested handcraftsmanship and a “harmony with the setting”
Arts and Crafts homes were built in a time in New Zealand when there were a number of other styles emerging. Art Deco was a spring off from the Arts and Crafts home and also we saw the transitional time from the New Zealand Villa to the Bungalow.
The Arts and Crafts movement sought to reunite what had been ripped asunder in the nature of human work, having the designer work with his hands at every step of creation. These types of homes were built off ideas, they followed a trend which was followed by the British architects but there were a lot of variances depending on the person building the house.
This period of home was the first to use mass machined wood within the homes. The industrial revolution was changing the way homes were built and builders of this time were experimenting from traditional ways of building homes with at the time new and experimental ways of putting together the house. This resulted in simple, sturdy and functional furnishings. But there were still the elegant and grand designs that preceded this time as many designers were still holding onto these craftsmanship skills.
Good Points:
Usually large and grand designs in good areas of towns
Simple designs makes it easy to add own touch.
High pitched roofs allow good water runoff.
Large eaves so moisture doesn’t get into structure
Built with native timber and with larger than normal thickness of wood. usually by craftsmen
Rooms are usually large and have a high stud.
Not So Good Points:
Rooms are all built separate with no flow from one room to the next.
No thought for indoor outdoor flow.
Can be drafty and have little or no insulation.
Can be dark inside and rooms aren’t not positioned well for the sun.
It’s fair to say these homes are of a grand design. Built in a similar age of when the Villa and Bungalow were built all these homes are generally well loved by their owners and are well looked after. Maintenance can be high but the rewards for living in one of these beautiful pieces of history would be priceless.
November 28 2008 | Buyers and houses | 2 Comments »
Over the past few weeks we have been speaking about New Zealand houses and their designs.
We have covered The New Zealand Villa, The New Zealand Bungalow, The Art Deco Age, The New Zealand State House, The Transitional Period Home and we are onto the Modern Townhouse.
Modern Townhouses from the 1990’s to the early 2000’s are the houses of today. This is where modern architecture and trendy thinking comes into the picture of housing. There were many different types of designs that made it to play in New Zealand. Some were single level, some were multi level, some were made of permanent materials and some not. Houses were built to budgets in this age. The ones that were built with larger budgets were built with good standards and will generally last a good lifetime. But the downside is that many houses in this time are built with a developmental focus and on tight budgets which meant that in some cases the quality was sacrificed. Many of todays townhouse designs are built of the in the shadow of Joe Eichler who was in the 1970’s a revolutionary architect who designed houses that at the time were considered way before their time. But today these designs are now are much more seen, in different variances. The modern Townhouse is a good family home and is equally secure for the elderly or security conscious person.
Good Points:
· Very easy a functional designs to live in.
· Large open plan living areas with thought to sun positioning and indoor outdoor flow for entertaining.
· Further incorporation with internal access garaging for more security and comfort.
· Economical and dry to keep warm with most houses with full insulation.
· The modern building styles offer much greater scope house profiles and styles.
Not So Good Points:
· Multiple roof angles with multiple leak possibilities.
· Single sheet monolithic cladding, often poorly applied which when expands and contracts, leaks can form.
· Limited or no eaves and overhangs (excessive water cascading down exterior faces seeps in around windows and joins and cracks in cladding).
· Decks and parapets attached directly to exterior cladding can leak; framing can rot.
· Wide use of untreated timber framing (particularly houses built 1998 – 2004)
· Timber pile foundations in many free-standing houses where the exterior piles are subjected to constant wet and drying which can lead huge movements in the building.
· Insufficient “ground clearance”; concrete bases are built quite low and the cladding is very close to ground on many houses, this can cause water to seep in.
Although there were a number of building issues mentioned with these properties, it doesn’t mean they all have these issues. It is important, like with most properties to get a building inspection done. This will answer any questions you may have to do with the building and give you peace of mind in the buyingprocess.
These homes are very elegant and look the part for someone to live in. People who live in these homes usually take pridein them and the gardens and exterior of the houses kept in very good order.
November 26 2008 | Buyers and houses | No Comments »
In the Past four posts I have spoken about The New Zealand Villa, The New Zealand Bungalow, The Art Deco Era and the New Zealand State House. Now we move into the transitional era of housing for New Zealand (1960’s -1980’s). This is the time when we saw the beginning of the developer driven construction. Houses of this time we still built by qualified builders but there were some compromises the durability of materials used. For example pine or particle board flooring material was used instead of tawa or matai, window frames were made from aluminium and many buildings used artificial weatherboards.
Houses of this time were very much family orientated. This was the time when many of the baby boomers were in the prime of their child bearing ages. One of the major reasons of this time becoming developer driven was because of this huge demand for family homes to house the baby boomers families. There were a lot of homes all built in a very close time frame. The properties of this time had larger living rooms than previous homes and were more integrated into living areas.
These homes built in this era are considered by many to be the good ol kiwi family home. We all have at some stage of our lives lived in one. Here are a few points on these homes.
Good Points:
· Family orientated, often had larger living spaces for families to congregate in.
· Mostly northern facing and positioned good for the sun.
· The first homes to start having good indoor outdoor flow.
· Were cheaper to construct than all the previous homes, but are easy to modify if needed later in the years.
Not So Good Points:
· Was the first time pressed iron tile roofing was used. Was weaker than other materials but if fitted properly still had good durability.
· Some problems with condensation and insulation. Especially homes fitted with gas heaters.
· Homes were still plain in design and rectangle. Most had a similar floor plan with slight variances.
These homes are a good family home. Although not as grand as any of the previous homes and built with more of a budget in mind they still offer a good solid and fairly cost efficient home to own.
November 24 2008 | houses | No Comments »
In the previous posts we have spoken about The New Zealand Villas and Bungalows and Art Deco, now we get into the era of The State Home (1930’s – 1960’s).
The first state houses in the 1930’s were designed and constructed to the highest possible standard budgets permitted. They were built so that no two houses would be exactly alike, so that their occupants would not be identifiable as state tenants.
Similar sentiments guided the first Labour government’s scheme. State housing areas would contain both better-off and poor workers to avoid the creation of single-class neighbourhoods. As with the workers’ dwellings, each house would be constructed using quality labour and materials, and designed to last for 60 years and more if maintained.
Internal planning was important. Kitchens would face the morning sun and living rooms would form the centre of family life, arranged so that easy chairs could encircle the fireplace. This is the typical design of the New Zealand State House.
Good Points:
· The construction was always done by well trained people.
· Building material was strong, usually brick, matai and tawa – rimu was used as well.
· Eaves were still large which means the homes are very watertight.
· Mostly single storied with simple floor plans.
The Not so Good:
· Properties are usually small and not suited to larger families.
· Style and shape often don’t suit modern lifestyles – no indoor outdoor flow and spate kitchens and dining rooms.
· Bathrooms often face the road and are next to the front door.
These houses are easy to change and are made to last. A well looked after state home can be one of the smartest buys you can make as the costs involved with maintenance can be less than the previous styles of homes.
November 23 2008 | Buyers and Uncategorized and houses | No Comments »
In the previous posts I have spoken about The Villa and The Bungalow. Now we move onto the Art Deco (1920’s – 1940’s). This style of home originated in Europe in the early years of the 20th Century. It became widely known following the great Exposition des Arts Modernes Decoratifs et Industriels, held in Paris in 1925 and from which its name was ultimately derived. By the late 1930s it was in its streamlined phase and after World War 2, the International Style, devoid of all decoration, held sway. Many of them built for war people these homes are both built strong and built to last.
People built these homes to express themselves in one way or another. They have great artistic flares and a presence about them that no other home has.
Good Points:
· Mostly Rough-cast over native timber framing; well braced with solid diagonal. If over time the studs do rot the sarking will hold the house together.
· Usually coated with 4 coats of plaster for strength, so are very strong.
· Well detailed flashings and eyebrows over the windows.
· Flat roofs, but used full length industrial profile iron with good flashings, they are virtually leak proof if maintained well.
· Solid concrete foundations.
The Not so Good Points:
· Design not necessarily suitable for modern lifestyles.
· Exits are not well designed for having too many people over.
· Bathrooms are generally small.
Art Deco homes to me are one of the more character homes of New Zealand. There are areas close to where I live that have whole streets of these homes on them and these homes can be painted in very extravagant and bright colours and get away with it. They form a great part in any community and there are some people that really love them.
November 21 2008 | Buyers and Uncategorized and houses | 9 Comments »
The Bungalow (1930’s – 1940’s)
Yesterday I talked about the Villa. The Next to Come in New Zealands Housing History was the Bungalow. The evolution from villa to the bungalow was interesting. The ceilings were lower and double-hung windows replaced with casements, lead lights made an appearance, fretwork was phased out, the front door moved to the side of the home, the entrance adorned with a porch. The gable ends and the roofs over bay windows were shingled (timber tiles) and the eaves were exposed. Halls and lobbies were still panelled in Rimu or Kauri and a telltale sign of the bungalow is the old picture rails being replaced by a shelf.
For the first time the houses were oriented towards the sun and the floor plan more user friendly and for the first time New Zealanders could order window frames, doors and balustrades out of a catalogue.
Good Points:
· Solid Concrete Foundations and native timber framings firmly attached these houses together
· Strong level native timber tongue and groove floors, often separately constructed on spaced floor joists.
· Sufficient Roof Angles ranging from 12 – 15 degree angles. Usually iron or tiles
· Rain deflecting eaves and eyebrows. Window frames built to let wood expand and contract.
The Not So Good Points:
· Functional, but fairly standard floor plans.
· Can be very dark if not north or east facing.
The bungalow in my view is a great New Zealand home to get hold of. They have stood the test of time and if well looked after will last for a long time to come. They are of high demand by many. The people who love them think they are cute and for this reason most owner occupied bungalos are in very good condition and these houses look great with a nice garden.
November 20 2008 | Buyers and Uncategorized and houses | 1 Comment »
The Villa (1900’s – 1920)
The New Zealand Villa is probably the first English influenced home to arrive into New Zealand. These grand homes are set amongst the more older neighbourhoods of the cities they reside in. Many villas were built for the more dignified communities of their time. Many of the Villas we see today that have stood the test of time are very well loved and are homes the owners generally are proud to own. Today we see these areas still in good demand for housing in New Zealand as the area and location is generally a good one to live, and well established. Here is a quick overview of the New Zealand Villa
Good points:
· Durable native hardwood construction, usually built by craftsman.
· Wide construction with at least 600mm eaves over windows and doorways to defect rainwater.
· Wooden Weatherboards, durable and easily replaced individually.
· Pitched roofs of about 30% to deflect rain, made from sturdy corrugated iron. If painted would last approx 40 years unlike today’s thinner roofing iron which usually only give a 15 year warranty.
Not So Good Points:
· Draughty, but easily modified with modern insulation materials.
· Fairly compact, simple designs with little thought to indoor outdoor flow.
· Northern aspect placement was usually not considered. So be careful to know where its sun goes as it could get cold.
November 19 2008 | Buyers and Uncategorized and houses | 3 Comments »
The arts and crafts era (1880’s – 1920’s) takes a side step from the traditional New Zealand home. Recently I have spoken about The Modern Townhouse, The Transitional Home, The New Zealand State House, Art Deco Homes, Beautiful Bungalows and The New Zealand Villa. But both before and during the time of the Villa another style of house was built in New Zealand which is now dubbed the Arts and Crafts.
