- Kiwi expats in London bought a distinctive Christchurch home sight unseen for $1.9m.
- The U-shaped Bryndwr house reflects Craig Dixon’s connection to Christchurch’s Cardboard Cathedral.
- After 10 years, Dixon and his wife are downsizing as their children have left home.
Kiwi expats living in the UK have snapped up a unique Christchurch home with strong links to the city’s famed Cardboard Cathedral.
Start your property search
The couple shelled out $1.9 million for the standout property, which they have yet to set foot in.
They took part in last week’s auction for Brookside Terrace, in Bryndwr, from their home in London.
Bayleys listing agent Steve Ellis told OneRoof the couple decided to buy Reverend Craig Dixon’s U-shaped home after viewing the photos and video online.
“Through the photography and the video, they were able to get a really good feel for what the property was. It ticked all the boxes. They’re very excited.”
The U-shaped house on Brookside Terrace won over the buyers, who have yet to set foot in it. Photo / Supplied
The design makes the most of the sun, with the house bathed in light during the day. Photo / Supplied
Ellis had been on a video call with the couple as he walked them through the property, noting that their family had also checked it out on their behalf.
He said there had been a lot of interest in the property, with almost 50 people going through it, but the couple, who are returning to New Zealand to start a business, were the only ones to bid at Thursday’s auction.
They made an opening bid of $1.65m and then, after around 10 minutes of negotiations, upped their offer to $1.9m – more than $400,000 above the RV.
Ellis noted that there had been buyers waiting in the wings, ready to make conditional offers if the property passed in at auction. “I think a lot of people were disappointed they weren’t in a position to actually take part in the auction and a lot of people have missed out.”
Discover more:
- 220 bids! Buyers go berserk for plaster home in double grammar zone
- Ultra-cheap home loans are gone - how much mortgage pain lies ahead?
- Buyer pays over $8m for mansion to protect luxury apartment views
The property settles in January, which gives Dixon and his wife Kate a decent chunk of time to say goodbye to their family home.
The Dixons were very happy with the outcome, Ellis said, and were already planning their next move, which was expected to be another new build.
Dixon told OneRoof last month that the property’s unusual design was influenced by his links to Christchurch’s Cardboard Cathedral and its creator, Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.
Dixon was responsible for bringing Ban to Christchurch, having spotted his work in a design magazine.
“I really like design,” Dixon told OneRoof. “So, I went back to the staff and Dean Peter Beck and said, ‘Hey, why don’t we build a Cardboard Cathedral? Let’s get in touch with this guy.’”
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban designed the Transitional “Cardboard” Cathedral for Christchurch. Photo / NZME
Reverend Craig Dixon in 2012 checking the cardboard tubes that would be used in Ban’s build. Photo / NZME
The idea was initially regarded as somewhat crazy, Dixon told OneRoof. But he was given permission to email the architect. “I did that and he was in New Zealand within six weeks.”
At the same time the Cardboard Cathedral was being developed, the Dixons were on their own home building journey.
Ban, who became friends with Dixon while they were working on the Cardboard Cathedral, learnt of his plans and offered to design the house for free.
Dixon was blown away by the generous offer but ultimately declined, telling OneRoof that he did not think he was an emergency.
Ban did, however, sit on the site and sketch out ideas for a U-shaped house. Dixon took on board Ban’s thinking about how homes should work for the people living in them.
A stained glass artwork that echoes the design of the Transitional Cathedral sits on the Dixons’ cardboard mantelpiece. Photo / Supplied
“He said the most important thing about a house is that it has to be good for people to live in.”
That philosophy shaped the home, which Dixon and his wife have enjoyed for 10 years. Ban visited once the home was complete and gave it his seal of approval.
“He is very critical,” Dixon said. “He speaks his mind. If he thought it was rubbish he’d say: ‘No, I think your house is rubbish’. But he thought it was great.”
However, with the couple’s children now having flown the nest, they had decided it was time to move on too.
“I’m 71 now, and at some stage we thought we’d downsize, so we’re downsizing,” he said. “I really love building, and I’d like to build again,” he said. “I’d like to try and prove through the next build that you can build something that’s high performance, low cost, and great for people.”
- Click here to find more properties for sale in Christchurch
