A real-time restoration
Follow along with this regular series as Jim the Builder helps reinstate Blythcliffe, a heritage homestead in Akaroa.
One of Canterbury’s leading construction companies, Jim the Builder, is taking on a project that’s unlike any other. After many years of experience in renovations, alterations and new builds, Jim the Builder managing director Andrew Clark says the restoration of Blythcliffe, a gracious heritage building in Akaroa, is something special.
The home was built in 1857 in the Colonial Regency style, which was unusual for the period. Listed as a Historic Place Category 1 by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, it has a symmetrical facade with classical proportions and a verandah colonnade. The original roof was flat, possibly with the intention of adding a parapet, but a pitched roof was added in the 1870s. An 800-year-old mataī graces the property, as does a stream with eels that have been there for a good part of a century.
Jim the Builder first became involved after the house was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, assisting the homeowners through the lengthy insurance process. Now, the restoration begins, and that’s no easy path. The land is protected by a QEII National Trust Covenant, and as well as requiring resource and building consents and consultation with iwi, the project also has Heritage New Zealand and archaeological oversight.
Jim the Builder will be installing new foundations, rebuilding some very large chimneys, and then reinstating the house back to its original grandeur, says Andrew, and it’s already proving fascinating.
“We’re trying to preserve as much of the home’s original fabric as we can. The timbers that had been in contact with the ground haven’t survived the 170 years, but we’re trying to reuse as many materials as possible. We’re taking the time to remove architraves and skirting boards, which all have to be wrapped, labelled and stored so that they don’t warp. When we rebuild, not everything will be square and true. We’ll rebuild it as it was, so that all the doors, for example, will align as they were originally.”
There have been a few discoveries. “All the excavation was overseen by an archaeological firm, and they found some quite cool artefacts from pre-1900,” says Andrew. And under the upstairs floors, a 200-year-old sail from the ship that brought over all the building materials was found draped across the joists as a form of insulation.
Blythcliffe is home to John and Lesley, who work in the arts and in the Akaroa community, and run the property as a bed and breakfast. They love sharing the history of the house with guests and very much see themselves as custodians, says Andrew, as does everyone involved.
“We all feel privileged to be working on this. There are not many properties of this era in New Zealand that you get to do this level of work on, and everyone respects that. The goal is to restore it for another 170 years.”
Right now, the house is shrink-wrapped and propped up on scaffolding, suspended in the air and ready for new foundations. Next time: Challenges and successes.
