Good House – Claude Megson

NZ House and Garden magazine just featured this 1969 Megson house on their website.  The commentary starts provocatively:

    “Today’s building code would never stretch to accommodate the ideas of renowned architect Claude Megson. Some might say that’s a blessing but others would argue it is genius lost.”

I would be one of those others.

That’s not to say Claude’s ideas always worked out precisely as he hoped – one of his clients once told me that “Claude always floated about six inched off the ground” – but as the son of a builder he was always grounded in what could be done, and it allowed him to understand what should be done.

Designed in 1969 for an artist and his landscaping wife, this house at Waiatarua in West Auckland is on just  0.4 hectares of land overlooking the city.

     “Heart rimu ceilings and floors make the home warm and hospitable. The exterior is clad in vertical board-and-batten cedar and there’s a long-run steel roof. It ticked all the boxes for family living, with a separate cubby hole for the couple’s three children to play in and a world outside the windows to explore.
    “Tucked into a lush landscape, the home enjoys supreme privacy, with no need for fences between the neighbouring properties. The kids roamed the bush as if it was one big park, their only complaint that there was no dairy handy.”

 
Read the whole article by Claire McCall here.
[Cross-posted at the Claude Megson Blog. Photos by Patrick Reynolds]

Project: Dargaville extension – Organon Architecture

Here’s a simple wee project I’ve been working on to extend a small existing house with a family area opening up to a protected outside courtyard, and to add on a sleep-out/studio with an open outside-eating spot between to enjoy cooling summer breezes.

45A Epsom Ave

3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 2 Garage 2 Off Street View Map Check school zones Investment Details Construction: Brick, Monolithic and Iron Accomodation: Three bedrooms Section Size: 450m² No. of titles: 1 Capital Value: $1090000 Full Description Incredible opportunity for the astute person looking at buying a superbly located townhouse in one of Epsom’s finest streets. Walking distance to Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls Grammar so all schooling needs are taken care of. Two storey standalone townhouse has a brick lower level with the upper level in need of recladding for you to profit from your investment. Take the opportunity to purchase in one of Epsoms tightly held areas. Large floor area 191m2 Huge outdoor covered decking Double garaging Sunny elevated outlook Current CV $1.090.000.00 NB: Unfortunately drastically changed during construction from what was originally designed.

Click to view photograph

Get ye to a Montessori training centre!

152 Cemetary Rd, Maunu, Whangarei

I was inspired over the weekend by a visit to this small Megson unit in Remuera I posted the other day. Claude used to talk about the “big-souled” feeling that architecture should inspire. This small unit certainly delivered – its 95 square metres feel immense, as does one’s spirit when sitting in its light-filled spaces.

It’s being sold by its owners now their circumstances have changed. They’d love to move to a larger Megson, they say, now they’ve outgrown their little beauty.

As it happens, a larger Megson house is also on the market … up at Whangarei. A reader visited over the weekend and sent me the news, along with this short report:

“I just went to the open home for the Megson designed home at 152 Cemetary Road, Maunu, Whangarei, MIND BLOWING! Very very original and totally delightful. I want it.”

No wonder. It’s another delight.

From the Allens Realty’s site, from whence you can get details and Open Home times:

An Internationally known – Claude Megson Design – A Residence that Symbolises Individuality.
If you want to rebel against the ‘status quo’ and satisfy your drive for distinction, you need to inspect this property and appreciate the opportunity this fascinating home has to offer.
Almost the country equivalent of a modern day Don Quixote and nestled privately amongst native bush this unique 3 level 374m² Megson designed home features 2 lounges, 2 snugs, 2 dining rooms, 3 fireplaces and a large courtyard and swimming pool.
To be sold as a going concern with approximately 120 mature avocado trees in full production, including a large implement shed and orchard equipment. There is a stable and horse truck complex plus 2 small grazing paddocks.
A highly individual property that is everything but ordinary.

You can read all the sale details here.

(Cross-posted to the Claude Megson Blog)

3/64 Hapua St, Remuera

A Megson townhouse is on the market – one that came on the market a year or so back, was ‘renovated’ unsympathetically, fortunately onlny on a small scale, by a graduate architect who had no idea what she was looking at, and is now back on the market and able to be rehabilitated.

Sale details are here. Agent’s blurb reads:

Remuera – Writers, Artists, Architects.

3/64 Hapua St

Open Homes: Sat 31 Jan 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm
Sun 01 Feb 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm

Auction at L4, 50 Kitchener St, City on 25/02/2009 at 11:00am
Unless sold prior

Architect Claude Megson created this sublime artistic retreat in the 1960s. Fitting like a glove into the Remuera hillside just below Arney Crescent, it’s within easy walking distance of Parnell & Newmarket. Despite a compact floorplan, you’ll be amazed how light & airy it feels. You’ll discover several private spots perfect for reading & relaxing. Although every house-hunting single or couple should see this, the next owner is more likely to be someone who appreciates the architectural significance of a Megson.

Cross-posted at NOT PC.

Please visit my main blog…

… at pc.blogspot.com.

Cheers,

Peter Cresswell

Cocker Townhouses in Wood St, Freemans bay, Auckland

Featured at the back page of the Aug/Sep 2007 copy of Home and Entertaining magazine is the My Favourite Building feature. Seleting his favourite this month is architect Ken Crosson–winner in 2005 of Home and Entertaining‘s Home of the Decade award for his distinctive Coromandel bach –and he’s chosen Claude Megson’s Cocker Townhouses in Wood St, Freemans bay, Auckland, designed in 1969 and competed in 1973.

Click on the pic to enlarge, or here to see a PDF of the page [5.5MB].

Says Crosson in the article:

“Claude Megson was one of my lecturers at architecture school and I was always fascinated by his work. These townhouses are one of his finest projects. They are a grouping of four town houses in an existing Victorian suburb. The design is fundamentally different to its neighbours, but is totally respectful of them. Megson was a master of context. He extended the existing street patter, into the site. He re-interpreted forms, elements and details in a modern context.

“I was lucky enough to live in one of the town houses in the 1980s. More recently when another of them was damaged by fire, we helped restore It. Bill and Finola Cocker commissioned Megson to design the houses in the early 70s. Bill was an artist who had a vision of adding something beautiful to the city. It was built as per Claude’s wishes. “Each unit is an individual, with its own courtyard and different views and a different floor plan and all are spatially rich. The top floors have amazing views of Auckland’s central city — they remind me of the main character in Atlas Shrugged, Dagny Taggart, who is inspired and empowered by the energy of the city.

“These days everybody is talking about sustainability and density. The unit I lived in had a site area of 215 square metres. These houses show how successfully Megson was grappling with these concepts back in the early 70s — good living isn’t about the size of plots, but about the quality of design.”

I love that pointer to Atlas Shrugged.

1A Warrington St, Remuera.

What looks to be an unfortunate recladding job mars what seems to be a typically playful spatial delight within.

From AllRealEstate’s site come this description:

Situated amidst mature native trees and bush along a quiet right of way sits this immensely valuable architecturally designed home; which steps down the beautiful northern slopes of Remuera over three levels, and captures the most uplifting views imaginable!

The interior enjoys four lofts and voluminous entertaining areas all with polished floors (family, dining, formal living with fireplace, plus extra lounge), which flows out to big sun soaked decks, great for entertaining on any scale.

The multi level living and five fascinating bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, connect with dramatic spaces to create a relaxed ambience of excitement and character. An ideal home for a teenage family with more than enough room to spread out. A tranquil oasis in a north facing environment, enjoying privacy on a 1095 m2 more or less site.

Imagine waking to the sound of the Tui in this beautiful bush setting whilst being only a short drive from Downtown Auckland, Newmarket, Remuera shops and motorways are at your doorstep.

Double garaging, extra parking, Grammar Zoned.

Janet Lambert
Mobile: 0274 736 023
Megan Jaffe MREINZ
Ray White Remuera

Property Summary:

Category:

House

Bedrooms:

5

Bathrooms:

1

Garage:

Double

Land:

1095.00sqm (approx)

More pics. Click to enlarge.