Enjoy character and style
Architect says design of Newmarket apartments will make them appeal to ‘ downsizers’, writes Sandra Goodwin
The accomplished architect who has conceived a new boutique Newmarket apartment development believes it’ll appeal strongly to “downsizers” as he’s designed into it many of the attributes associated with single- home properties. Architect Neville Price is known for the sculptural quality of his body of work, which has spanned 50 years and includes substantial work in both California and New Zealand.
Neville says: “This building will have attributes often not associated with apartment living, such as individuality, landscaping, privacy and a big focus on indoor- outdoor living.
“It will have a particularly sculptural building form created by large, extended balconies and tree planters, softened by trees and landscaping.
“These will not be small boxes within a larger box with no individuality, as has sometimes been the case with apartments. This building is going to have a really distinct character but has been designed not to date.”
The development company, 85 Nuffield Street, is selling the 16 pet- friendly residences in the 10- level building off the plans.
They range from one- to three- bedroom layouts, some with study areas, but are predominantly twobedroom two- bathroom offerings.
Most apartments open to decks both to the east and west.
The site currently bears a street- side car park and is more towards the southern end of Nuffield St ( the northern end being by the train station). There’s a display suite onsite.
Neville knows one of the factors which can put those downsizing from single- home properties off apartments is the lack of substantial greenery. Nuffield will incorporate some mature native trees and other plants in big, robust poured- concrete planter boxes extending out from the building and tended by an automated irrigation system.
Privacy is something else residents in this building will value rather than communal facilities. Winged walls will help make outdoor living areas private from one another.
The building will be solid concrete poured insitu with post- tension floors as used extensively in the United States.
This creates strength, enabling bigger spans and avoiding the need for intrusive columns and beams.
Indoor- outdoor flow will be maximised by glass doors which disappear completely into recesses opening living spaces to outdoors, where built- in outdoor barbecues will extend kitchen islands. Bedrooms will also open on to decks.
Most apartments will have harbour views, getting more impressive the higher they are, with other views to the east and west encompassing Mt Eden and Mt Hobson.
Julie Fielding’s interior design emphasises quality timeless finishes.
Solid basalt rock under the site means it makes sense for car- parking to be on lower levels, accessed by car lift. While it’s expected most residences will want a car park they’re not built into pricing as some owners may not need them. One car park will cost $ 90,000 and owners may be able to buy a second spot at the same price subject to availability. Newmarket train station is handy to Nuffield and other destinations within walking distance include Auckland Domain and War Memorial Museum, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls and the University of Auckland’s Newmarket campus.
Neville says the sculptural design he is known for is achieved through depth of structure which creates light and shadow as the sun moves around a building.
His portfolio includes more than 150 houses and 17 high rises. It includes the West Plaza building he practises from in Albert St in central Auckland, The Moorings in Herne Bay’s Sarsfield St and Auckland’s first high- rise apartment building, Devon Park in Stanley Point.
This boutique city- fringe complex is scheduled to start construction in January next year, with completion in the first quarter of 2018. 85 NUFFIELD ST, NEWMARKET. ON OFFER: OPTIONS: A: B: C: D: E: BODY CORP: INSPECT: SCHOOLS: CONTACT: ON THE WEB: