Rural & Lifestyle Residences in Christchurch
Choice Architecture is a Christchurch-based architectural designer specialising in rural and lifestyle architecture. We design bespoke residential homes for lifestyle blocks and rural properties, shaped by land, outlook, and how people want to live.
Our work focuses on creating homes that respond carefully to their setting — from open Canterbury plains to more elevated or exposed sites — ensuring each project feels grounded, considered, and connected to its landscape.
We design lifestyle homes across North Canterbury and surrounding rural areas.
Lifestyle Block Homes
Designing for a lifestyle block presents a different set of opportunities and challenges compared to urban residential sites. Larger sites offer freedom in positioning and outlook, but require careful consideration of orientation, access, wind, and long-term use of the land.
Our approach to lifestyle architecture is to work with the natural characteristics of the site — identifying the best location for the home, framing views, and creating a strong relationship between house and landscape.
Each lifestyle residence is approached as a piece of bespoke architecture, tailored specifically to its environment and the needs of the people who will live there.
A Considered Rural Response
Rural architecture requires a clear and deliberate response to conditions that are often more exposed than suburban environments.
Key considerations include:
- Positioning the home within the landscape
- Orientation for sun, shelter, and prevailing winds
- Access, arrival, and connection to the wider property
- Long views and visual connection to surrounding land
- Integration of outdoor living within a rural setting
The result is a home that feels settled in its environment rather than placed upon it.
Working With the Land
On lifestyle and rural sites, early decisions about siting are critical. Small shifts in position can significantly affect sunlight, shelter, privacy, and long-term comfort.
We work with clients to understand how they intend to use the land — whether for lifestyle, recreation, or working purposes — ensuring the architecture supports both the house and the wider property.
This approach allows the home to feel like a natural extension of the landscape, rather than a separate object within it.
Christchurch and Canterbury Lifestyle Sites
We design rural and lifestyle homes across Christchurch, Canterbury, and the wider South Island. From lifestyle blocks on the outskirts of Christchurch to larger rural properties, each site presents unique opportunities for architectural response.
Even within open landscapes, careful planning creates a sense of enclosure, privacy, and comfort while maintaining connection to the wider environment.
Homes Designed for Lifestyle Living
A well-designed lifestyle residence supports a different way of living — one that is more connected to land, outlook, and environment.
Spaces are designed to feel open yet sheltered, with strong indoor–outdoor relationships and material palettes that sit comfortably within rural surroundings.
The outcome is architecture that is calm, durable, and well suited to its setting.
View Rural & Lifestyle Projects
A selection of our work illustrates our approach to rural and lifestyle architecture across a range of Canterbury sites.
Related Architectural Services
We also design bespoke residential homes across a range of settings:
Start a Project
If you’re considering a lifestyle block or rural residential project in Christchurch or across Canterbury, we’d be happy to talk.
Early conversations help clarify site opportunities, design direction, and whether we’re the right fit for your project.