Christchurch, New Zealand

You may have woken to the news of the earthquake that hit New Zealand. This powerful 6.3 magnitude quake rocked Christchurch, NZ, a town that is still recovering from a 7.1 earthquake back in September.

Last year I discovered Christchurch Modern - a site run by modern enthusiast homeowners in Christchurch which is a town full of wonderful modern homes. The ‘Christchurch Style’ or ‘Christchurch School’ are frequently used to describe the modernist architecture movement that exploded in Christchurch in the middle of the last century. The modern Christchurch style was formed by a loose group of architects all using contemporary materials and techniques to create houses that sat comfortably with the strong geography. In construction, concrete blocks replaced timber cladding. Placement on the site was emphatic. Chimneys were tall and assertive. Windows and doors seemed to have been punched through solid masses. The result looked sculptural, abstract and emphatically anchored in the landscape.

Many of these homes are thankfully still around and some are currently being renovated with new home owners embracing the architecture. The photo above is from the Our Christchurch Modern blog... a nice family restoring their home and blogging about their reno. I have been following along since last Spring and was relieved to read that they are all safe and well even though their home has suffered seriously from today's quake. My heart goes out to this family and the entire community.