Description
SAM 26 is located just to the north of the Central City and consists of a block of residential properties fronting onto the north side of Conference Street through Beveridge Street and up to and including those properties on the north side of Peacock Street. Within this block all properties fronting onto Durham and Montreal Streets are also included.
This area is considered to be very notable because of the strong relationship between the buildings and the street, the general consistency in scale, form, and style of the buildings as well as the abundance of mature soft landscaping.
Considerable variation in plot area, building size and building age exists throughout the SAM from small single storey workers cottages built in the 1870s through to large villas and town houses built in the 1990s. However, similar architectural elements are used extensively throughout the SAM including gabled roofs, hipped roofs, dormer windows, verandas, balconies, bay windows, and entrance porches. The original building materials in the SAM were corrugated metal roofs, brick chimneys, timber windows with patterned lead lights and painted horizontal timber weatherboard and shingles to bay windows and gable ends. More recent modern materials used include plastered and painted concrete blocks, painted stucco, and tiled roofs. Some of the original buildings have been replaced with new structures while many have evolved over the years with additions and alterations. Recent developments have seen the subdivision of some of the larger sections and the creation of new compact townhouses and apartments.
Front fences were generally designed to match the overall appearance of the dwelling. Provision was generally not made for off street car parking in the smaller dwellings on Conference, Beveridge and Peacock Streets, an important factor which led to the strong relationship between house and street across small private front gardens. Matching substantial garages were often included in the larger houses on Montreal and Durham Streets, but mainly sited to the rear of the main house and accessed through a gateway. A pedestrian access from the street was usually still present in these larger properties.
Designing within this character
New buildings in SAM 26 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 façade 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 windows and porches relate to the street also needs to be considered to continue the consistency and interaction with the street. Additionally, the placement of double garages in the front yard can be visually detrimental and should be avoided. Double garages present problems on these narrow frontage sites as they tend to completely isolate the home from the street and are inconsistent with the scale and form of the area.
City Plan rules
SAM 26 is in a Living 4C zone in the City Plan. The Plan contains a set of rules that regulate the way sites can be developed. There are rules additional to the standard Living 4C rules that apply to SAM 26, which acknowledge the area as having special qualities that should be retained. They are:
External appearance - resource consent is required when an alteration to the external appearance of an existing building, or a new building, is proposed in SAM 26, that can be seen from a public place such as the street.
- 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 only 2m as opposed to the 4.5m standard for residential areas, reflecting the intimate character of the area.
Residential site density - although zoned Living 4C, SAM 26 has a maximum residential floor area ratio per site of 0.9. The purpose of the decreased density is to retain the relative feeling of spaciousness and the level of vegetation coverage in the area.
If you are considering altering the external appearance of a building in SAM 26, or building anew, you will need a resource consent and it is recommended that you seek advice from the Urban Design – Strategy and Planning Group of the Christchurch City Council, before submitting your application.
Protected buildings
A. 17 Beveridge Street. c 1880 2 storey colonial cottage.
B. 18 Beveridge Street. c 1880 2 storey colonial cottage.
C. 410 Montreal Street. c 1870 Early workers cottage.
D. 408 410 Montreal Street. c 1870 Early workers cottage.
E. 406 410 Montreal Street. c 1870 Early workers cottage.
F. 404 Montreal Street. c 1865 Early workers cottage.
G. 402 Montreal Street. c 1865 Early workers cottage.
Date: July 2001
