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Cover story of "Home And Building", published under the auspices of the New Zealand Society of Architects. This issue appeared a year after the completion of the flats.

FLATS IN CHRISTCHURCH
ARCHITECT: F.M. WARREN, A.R.I.B.A., A.N.Z.I.A.

There are eight flats, four per floor, three occupied by the young bachelor owners and five tenanted.

It was intended that the building be as simple and economic as possible with a minimum of maintenance and upkeep. Each flat has a living room, bedroom, small kitchen and shower, w.c. and basin opening off the bedroom, all within an area of 450 sq. ft.

The ground floors are concrete slabs on a damp-proof course lying hard on the ground enabling the brick garden terraces to finish level with the floors and to continue the extension of wall and ceiling planes.

Following the requirements of the post war standard building code, the first floors are reinforced concrete on beams and columns and external walls have what is called a ‘4 hour rating’, that is they are two skins of double concrete block. This solidity of structure combined with ground floor concrete slabs and aluminium foil and softboard in the roof produces a well constructed building with sufficient weight to absorb heat by day and release it at night.

The concrete block walls are left exposed both inside and out and painted white. This finish was chosen for its economy, ease of maintenance and ‘tenant’ resistance but principally for its aesthetic appeal, the pleasing texture and pattern of well laid blockwork.


“Home And Building”, 1 September 1959, pp 2-3.

Reproduced with the permission of the publisher.


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