North Canterbury News: January 11, 2024

10 The
NEWS
North Canterbury News, January 11, 2024
Restricted
fire season
declared
By ROBYN BRISTOW
The Canterbury District is now in aRestricted
Fire Season.
Anyone wanting to light an open­air fire will
now need apermit.
The restricted fire season began yesterday,
Wednesday,January 10.
You can applyfor apermit at www.
checkitsalright.nz.
‘‘You only have to see from the events of this
week how small sparks can quicklyturn into
large fires which threaten homes and
communities,’’ Fire and Emergency Canterbury
District Commander Dave Stackhousesays.
‘‘Although arestrictedseason would not have
prevented these fires,itdoes give us greater
protection from unwanted fires by ensuring any
open­airfires are only completedwith a
permit.’’
The previous two years of increased rainfall
has seen increased grass and vegetation growth
across the district,MrStackhousesays.
‘‘This is now drying out, and our crewsare
reporting greater effort beingrequired to
containand extinguisheven relatively small
fires.’’
Anyone planning on lighting afire must check
weather conditions first.
If it is hot and windy then do not light afire,
even if you have apermit he says.
Make sure you undertakespark­generating
activities, like mowing or grinding, during the
coolerparts of the day (early morning or in the
evening).
Go to www.checkitsalright.nzfor tips on how
to stay fire safe.
Home seeksHeritage status
By ROBYN BRISTOW
Arare futuristic tiny home is in the
running to receive heritage
recognition.
HeritageNew Zealand Pouhere
Taonga is seeking submissions on a
proposal to list the Area 51 Futuro
House in Ōhoka as aCategory 1
historic place –aclassification that
would identify it as being of
outstanding heritage significance.
One of 12 built in New Zealand in
the mid 1970s, it fits into an
international picture.
HeritageNew Zealand Pouhere
Taonga Senior Heritage Assessment
Advisor for Canterbury and the West
Coast, Robyn Burgess says Area 51
Futuro House is an awesome example
of the reinforced fibreglass plastic
building that was developed by
Finnish architect Matti Suuronen in
early 1968 as an innovative solution
for aprefabricated, easy­to­relocate
after­ski hut.
‘‘The style of building is instantly
recognisable, and Futuros have
gained an international following by
enthusiasts around the globe.
‘‘There were around 100 made, but
now only about 68 are left in the world,
however,which makes them
incredibly rare.’’
Constructed from 16 fibreglassreinforced
plastic segments bolted
together,the buildings are assembled
to form an ellipsoid capsule –more
suggestive of aspaceship that has just
landed than ski accommodation.
The sense of interstellar travel is
reinforced by the building sitting on
an open steel support frame –almost
as if suspended in mid air –with its
entry door folding down to reveal an
aircraft­like staircase. Ovoid porthole
windows located in each bay complete
Futuro House ... Submissions sought
on heritage listing for Ohoka Futuro
House.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
the feeling that the whole structure
could take off at any moment.
The Area 51 name references the
name of the US Air Force base in
Nevada that is often associated with
conspiracy theories and stories about
UFOs and aliens, though designer
Matti Suuronen never intended his
concept to resemble aspaceship.
Instead his design was the result of
meticulous mathematical calculations
that provided optimum structural
efficiency.
‘‘Futuros began to be manufactured
by aNew Zealand company who
secured the rights to produce them in
1972.
‘‘By the beginning of 1974, two
Futuro houses were showcased at the
entrance to Queen Elizabeth Park for
the British Commonwealth Games,’’
says Robyn.
‘‘One was afully furnished
showhome sponsored by Seiko, while
the other was operated by Games
sponsor, the Bank of New Zealand, in
what was probably the coolest ever
BNZ branch in history. Athirdone
was on display at the Addington
Showgrounds in that same year.’’
Because of their comparative ease
of relocation, Futuros tend to have a
nomadic past. The Area 51 Futuro, for
example, had an early life at Lincoln
College before it was relocated by the
Ministry of Works for use as ahigh
country research station, and then
purchased by aprivate owner who
trucked it over the Haast Pass, then
flew it down the Paringa River in
South Westland by helicopter, where
it was used as awhitebait and fishing
hut.
In 2018 it was acquired by Futuro
aficionado Nick McQuoid who set
about the extraordinarytask of
retrieving the building and
reassembling it at Ōhoka.
The process involved jetboating to
the remote location on Paringa River,
dismantling the building using battery
powered tools charged on asolar
panel, and then transporting it out by
helicopter, boat, and finally trucked to
its new location.
Nick and his friends spent afull
year renovating the Futuro, which
now operates as holiday
accommodation, winning the category
of New Zealand’s best unique listing
on Airbnb in 2022.
‘‘This building is very much a
product of its time, and speaks to us
about the optimism and creativity of
the era it represents’’ says Robyn.
‘‘People who would like to make a
submission on the proposal to list this
building as aCategory 1historic place
can follow the link. We’d love to hear
from them.’’
To submit go to forms.office.com/
r/ypsWq3rVSu, or email
submissionssr@heritage.org.nz.
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