Our clients purchased three neighbouring earthquake-damaged properties in the quiet area of Rhodes Street in Merivale, Christchurch.

The brief was for 5 townhouses on each site but each block had to be different to help develop the character of the street.

After careful planning, we settled on a plan which would form the basis of the houses and then looked at what styles could be created to set them apart with their own identity on the street. This wasn’t a ‘cheap and easy’ decision for our client as varying the design makes the overall cost greater than repeating the design but the impact and value created by this approach has been very successful for them.

We worked out that providing the same layout for each development would maximise the sunlight and create privacy to the units with the driveways providing a barrier between living spaces to the units.

On street parking is limited, and as most families have more than one car, we managed to position the garages to allow a second car to be parked in the driveway of each unit.

Having a Right of Way on one side allowed us to go higher than normal and all three sections being attached gave us the freedom to design outside of many of the normal rules that apply to individual properties, allowing us to enhance the design whilst still maintaining sunlight and privacy.

The last row of units are about to be built now and on sale shortly. If you’re looking for a contemporary, beautifully appointed 3 bedroom townhouse, this is the place to be!