MACFIE ARCHITECTURE x Sir Ian Athfield Custance House

Sir Ian Athfield was many things - one of New Zealand's most celebrated architects, a rule-breaker, a character, and to those who knew him best, an icon in every sense of the word.

Revered across the design world, Athfield's work pushed boundaries and bent the rules of traditional building, leaving an indelible mark on the architecture of Aotearoa. Custance House is perhaps one of his finest examples - named NZAIA House of the Year in 1986, and as arresting today as it ever was.

Macfie Architecture were fortunate enough to be guests of the residence over a long weekend, experiencing first-hand what makes this home so quietly extraordinary. Rising four storeys - two dedicated to central living, the upper levels home to a studio and a sweeping top-floor balcony - Custance House stands as a stark and unapologetic monument to brutalism.

Its unique curves and statuesque frame would be near impossible to build under today's council consent processes. And yet, there it stands - a celebrated treasure, and something for lovers of the avant-garde to behold for generations to come.

Photography by Michael Schultz