Grounded Resilience – Zed House by RTA Studio

An art-filled home grounded in ideals of permanence and resilience, Zed House signifies the prospect of rebuilding through an examination of the past and planning ahead for the future. The expansive, single-storey, red-brick home references the original residence that was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, and is injected with art, nostalgia and childhood memories.

Zed House receives its name from a distinct floor plan, which snakes around the site and forms the letter ‘Z’. Although the house is single storey, it boasts generous spaces within. Inside, one will find a deeply considered floor plan where a low-entrance front door contrasts with the vaulted ceiling within, which is close to four metres high, creating a sense of compression and release. Zed House’s materiality is grounded in numerous solid materials, such as concrete, brick and glass, so it was important for the interior to bring a softness to the home as a counterpoint.

With embedded traces of the original dwelling, the home brings its storied past into a more contemporary context. Rebuilding on a site where the previous house had fallen over, RTA Studio creates a timeless and enduring residence that is resilient to natural hazards.