Grand designs In New Zealand, examples would be Larnach Castle, many old rural homesteads and a sprinkling of large suburban homes. Many of the latter are neo-Georgian in architectural style, this still being regarded by many as a stylistic pinnacle.
STATEMENTS IN SIZE
Grand designs in a rural context
It would be fair to say a grand design, in Christchurch terms, would be seen as a large home or dwelling that exceeds 400 square metres in size, for example, one that is easily bigger than the current standard home.
The latter has been catching up over the past 50 years.
However, a house of 400 square metres or more today would be perceived by most people to be generously scaled and within the reach of only a privileged few. They would also be likely to consider such a home to provide well above their general needs. Some smaller houses offering outstanding features can also be seen as grand designs.
But large homes, though perhaps not a great number of them, have defined grand designs over many centuries. The best are notable for their architecture, their setting or context and the history of their inhabitants. We can think of historic castles and palaces and in more recent times of country houses and occasional grand city houses.
While, historically, most grand designs have been built on generous plots of land and in rural areas, numerous have been constructed on small but prominent sites, offering the occupants and the viewer outstanding views and visibility. In Canterbury most are situated in rural or hillside areas. Examples of more physically prominent homes can be seen on the Port Hills, around the Lyttelton Harbour inlet and around Banks Peninsula, including Akaroa. In more recent times, a number have been built around the edge of the city’s urban area, mostly on rural residential lots.
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