Pole house on the harbour

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33775, 22 February 1975, Page 12

Pole house on the harbour

(By

KEN COATES)

The idea of a house on stilts is almost as old as man himself, and an architectural designer, Stewart Ross, aged 30, of Christchurch, has used the principle for the unusual dwelling being built for himself at Governor’s Bay.

The house looks as though it is sprouting on a grove of telegraph poles. A total of 30 poles 28ft long have been carefully sunk in the ground on a 20deg hillside site overlooking Lyttelton Harbour. “Faced with a hillside site, I looked at alternatives to massive earthwork and concrete foundations costing at least $4OOO to $5000,” said Mr Ross who is a qualified architect.

Using poles sunk sft into the hillside and embedded firmly in concrete appealed for several reasons.

It was cheaper initially, involved minimum interference with the site, and provided an opportunity to build a house with poles as part of its structure. The only excavation required was for access.

Beams bolted The builder is Mr Garry Irvine, of Governor’s Bay, who will see the project through to the closed-in stage. He said that in many ways it entailed a simpler building method than conventional housing. “You merely set it all

out on the poles, whereas normally you would have to work to an abstract profile,” said Mr Irvine. Supporting floor beams are bolted to the poles at the levels required. There are five different floor levels in the first stage, and two other levels lower down the hill for rooms to be added later. The first stage comprises 1100 square feet — two bedrooms, a family room including dining area, kitchen and laundry and a lounge room. Family room The floor area of the house will be increased to 1400 square feet when the second stage is completed and this will comprise another bedroom, a study and bathroom. The family room opens on to an outside paved area. Mr Ross says that huge plate glass windows overlooking a magnificent view may result in people tiring of it. The outside area introduces an element of surprise. Pole houses have been widely built in the United States, and there are a number in Auckland and Wellington. They sit well in bushcovered hill sections, merging with the landscape. He foresees savings but has not set out to build the cheapest pole house possible.

Treated poles “I wanted a home with an interesting shape, and this, of course, increases the cost,” he said. “It is slightly colonial in character and, as there

uie a number of these older forms in Lyttelton and around the harbour, it should look very well here.” The poles are incorporated within the building, which is not slung between them as some pole houses are. Treated pine poles come up through the floor and pass through the ceiling like pillars. But they are sited unobtrusively. Walls are non-load-bearing, which means that timber used in framing need not be as

heavy as that used in some conventional walls. Mr Ross said that the Housing Corporation was financing his house, which would cost about $19,000 to the end of the first stage. He hopes to have it habitable by mid-year and is looking forward to finishing it according to taste. The roof, for example, will be of a special steel which rusts on the surface, “giving a nice brown-red colour” and does not need painting.

The pole house, owned and designed by Stewart Ross, which is being built at Governor’s Bay. The pine poles, the same size as conventional telegraph poles, are treated to prevent rotting. Using a model he has made, Mr Ross (left) discusses the roof line with the builder, Mr G. Irvine.