My Favourite Building: Dajiang Tai of Cheshire Architects

Photograph by David Straight.
Dajiang Tai of Cheshire Architects loves a home by his firm’s founder.


My Favourite Building: Dajiang Tai of Cheshire Architects

“I drove past Auckland’s Congreve house [designed by Pip Cheshire, 1987-1992] when I was still a student at university.

I stopped on the reserve and stared at it for half an hour – it is one of those houses that you can sense is extraordinary just by standing outside. I loved the blockwork, the curves, the vaulted roofs. I knew I had to work for the person who designed this house.

The first time I went inside, I felt tiny. There were surprises everywhere – warm sunlight from the skylight, heavy steel handles, walls stopping short with a glimpse of the garden beyond. I remember there was a tall, skinny, steel-framed glass door which looked heavy but felt like a feather.

I love houses that are honest in the way that the exterior and interior speak to each other, so you are transported to a fully immersive environment. When the material is in its raw state you can read the craftsmanship – it brings a richness. The Congreve house is muscular with a gentle heart, desaturated in colour but full of complexity when the light strikes. A true masterpiece.”

[related_articles post1=”2036″ post2=”61709″]

 

Latest video features

In the Coromandel, a home with a humble profile and a thoughtful design makes the most of a stunning location.

Built with awe-inspiring attention to detail, this Arrowtown home is a fresh interpretation of a familiar Otago rural vernacular.

This sculptural Northland bach is a perfect north arrow on a remote farm high above the sea.

With the sun on its bow and the community at its stern, this is a house in which the elements are always front of mind.

Trending articles

Home of the Year

Rural craft

Mid-century with a modern interpretation, this family home just outside of Whangarei is a jewel-box on an expansive country site.