Description
SAM 40 is located in Merivale and consists of a group of properties visible along the section of Hawkesbury Avenue between Browns Road and Somme Street.
This area is considered to be notable because of the strong relationship between the buildings and the street, the general consistency in scale, form, and style of the buildings and the abundance of mature soft landscaping both within and at the boundaries to the properties.
Most of the dwellings are single storey and were constructed in the early part of the last century, from 1900 to 1920. Similar architectural elements are used extensively throughout the SAM including gabled roofs, hipped roofs, and decorated verandas doubling as entrance porches. In particular a relatively large bay window beneath a gable or turret in each house is the most prominent feature to the street elevation.
The original building materials in the SAM were corrugated metal roofs, brick chimneys, timber windows and painted horizontal timber weatherboards. Many of the dwellings have bold colour schemes with architectural features being highlighted in the darker reds, blues and greens to stand out against the paler weatherboards.
Many of the properties have low boundary walls or timber fences with hedges above. The hedges and the site plantings are often mature and dense enough to offer only glimpses from the footpath of the dwelling behind.
Designing within this character
New buildings in SAM 40 should be designed to work in the context of this character, rather than imitate it. When designing new buildings consideration should be given to the orientation of the adjoining buildings and the distance they are set back from the front boundary. Combining forms that are similar in proportion, scale and height to the existing buildings, for the overall building shape, will help maintain this character.
Sudden changes in roofline, colour and building shape can break up the consistency of the streetscape. This disrupts the existing harmony between buildings within the SAM and the way they relate to the street.
The type of materials, style of the ornamentation and texture used for the facade of the new building should reflect that of the existing buildings, without necessarily copying them. Look at how different materials can add to the character of the area, and how a current building method might be used to achieve a result in keeping with the existing architecture.
The way that the existing buildings and their front bay windows and veranda porches relate to the street also needs to be considered to continue the consistency and interaction with the street.
City Plan rules
SAM 40 is in a Living 2 zone in the City Plan. The Plan contains a set of rules that regulate the way sites can be developed. There is one rule additional to the standard Living 2 rules that apply to SAM 40, which acknowledges the area as having special qualities that should be retained. This is:
- Road setback (street scene) - road setback is the distance that a building must be set back from the front boundary. The building setback from the street is 6m in SAM 40.
If you are considering altering a building in SAM 40, or building anew, and you need a Resource Consent, it is recommended that you seek advice from the Urban Design – Strategy and Planning Group of the Christchurch City Council, before submitting your application.
Date: January 2002
Return to: Special Amenities areas (SAMs) index
