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The New Zealand Period House: A Conservation Guide, Stuart Arden and Ian Bowman
Random House
Reviewed by Lindsay Wright (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

Soon after arriving on our shores in 1973, Austrian architect and artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser was shaking his head in disbelief. "It's the only country in the world," he said, "where they drive a bulldozer through their heritage."

He was talking about our architectural heritage, those uniquely New Zealand houses: Villas, bungalows, modernist, art deco et al that have been bowled by the score and replaced with soulless modern structures.
Much to the relief of the New Zealand public, Hundertwasser left a few unique buildings of his own on our landscape before his death in 2000, but Messrs Bowman and Arden, the authors of this book, share his concern at the fate of our old houses.

Both authors have impressive pedigrees in architecture and historic building preservation, in New Zealand and overseas and they've left no weatherboard unturned in this conservation guide. It ought to be compulsory reading for anyone considering taking on a restoration project, buying a period house or just looking to keep the period house they have in comfortable condition. The authors are at pains to stress that, as the owner of a New Zealand period house, you're also a guardian of our architectural heritage.

Notwithstanding the boom in inner city housing hutches, most New Zealanders still live in timber or masonry detached houses – buildings that readily lend themselves to alterations and additions to accommodate changes in lifestyle or family requirements.

The 227 pages are divided into three sections, the first looking at the development of different period styles then outlining the principles of conservation. It also deals with investigating what type of property you have, or are contemplating buying and finding out what sort of state it's in. The second deals with structure and exterior elements of houses and their repair and the third looks into interior design, construction and renovation.

The New Zealand Period House will, I'm sure, become a standard text for aspiring builders and architectural students. There's a lot to be learned from this book, from nail types to architraves, but the rather pedantic text can sometimes make for heavy reading.

There's a lot to be said for buildings that have stood the test of time; no leaky building syndrome or chipboard flooring that turns to snot at the first flood of water. Bowman and Arden show that with a little consideration and regular maintenance, these special
New Zealand buildings will be here for another century or two.