Architectural Craft – Menzies Pop by Common Architecture
Emerging from the site as a bold concrete structure, Menzies Pop is a celebration of architectural craft. Introducing a refined material palette to the pre-existing home, Common Architecture maximises the potential of the New Zealand property.
Located in Sumner, a suburb settled on the outskirts of Christchurch, Menzies Pop presents as a distinctive concrete construction. Surrounded by hills and walking tracks, the home is a visually modest offering peppered with an array of hand-crafted details. Clover shapes cut into the parapets and a carved arched entrance contribute to a pleasing façade, whilst paw prints to the side of the building speak to the unique decorative opportunities that concrete can provide.
Taking over a decade to complete, Menzies Pop is a thoughtful reconfiguration of the original building. Implemented with a sensitive approach to the pre-existing structure, the first-floor addition is subtly inserted beyond the existing parapet line. Three bedrooms are reimagined as a kitchen-living area, with their north-west orientation allowing the spaces to have access to a deck at the rear of the home. By moving the kitchen into a more communal part of the house, Common Architecture presents the space as central to family life; in place of the kitchen of old is a tranquil bedroom.
An expert eye is applied to the scale of the interior design. Consideration was given to the furniture, skylights and the single-length boards that cover selected internal walls, allowing the dimensions of the home to feel emphasised. The beloved timber of the pre-existing home is complemented by teak, stone and brass accents, which forms a sophisticated extension of the original material palette, while a warm-toned wood replaces the existing carpet.
