Five Mid Rise Apartment Block Designs on display for competition
The New Zealand Institute of Architects Incorporated are running a design competition on mid rise apartment blocks here in Auckland. The winner (chosen from one of five finalists) will have their apartment block design built at the Mt Eden Special Housing Area.
From the NZAIA
Architects respond to Auckland’s housing challenge
More than 60 architectural concepts from a competition to design an exemplary apartment building for a ‘brownfield’ site in Mt Eden will go on display at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki from 10 August until 12 August.
The medium density housing project will be sited on Akepiro Street, a cul-de-sac overlooking the rail line near the Dominion Road flyover that falls within one of Auckland Council’s proposed Special Housing Areas, the districts slated for more intensive residential development.
The competition was organised by the New Zealand Institute of Architects in partnership with developer Ockham Residential and with the support of Auckland Council.
Pip Cheshire, President of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, says the competition and exhibition are opportunities to inform the public about a housing type that is needed in New Zealand’s largest city but which has encountered some scepticism.
“A range of well-designed, infill residential projects is vital to promote community understanding and acceptance of higher density in selected urban areas, which is one of the aims of the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan,” Cheshire says.
“The large number of entries received in the Akepiro Street competition is proof of architects’ interest in and commitment to the development of housing models that meet the demands of a more populous city while offering a healthy and comfortable quality of life.”
Cheshire says the exhibition, which presents a wide range of creative responses to the competition brief, will also give the public an insight into the architectural design process.
Mayor Len Brown says that the competition is a timely and important contribution to the housing discussion.
“There will be one million extra Aucklanders within the next 30 years. We have to ensure affordable, quality, sustainable housing options for our growing population if we are to continue on the path to becoming the world’s most liveable city.”
“Ensuring we have high quality homes will also help to ensure increased intensification is done well, to a high standard, and that it will be sensitive to local environments. I applaud everyone who has taken part in this competition for being part of that solution.”
Mark Todd, director of Ockham Residential, says the impetus for the competition arose from the overlapping concerns of the Institute of Architects, Auckland Council and his company.
“Everyone knows the pressures on the housing market at the moment, but we think there needs to be a wider conversation about the quality of new homes and buildings that go up in the city,” Todd says.
“For this reason, I’m really pleased the Institute of Architects and the Council came on board with this competition. I encourage as many people as possible to come and visit the exhibition.”
“They can see for themselves that, with good design, apartment living is an attractive oprion for Aucklanders.”
The winner of the Akepiro Street design competition will be announced at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki on Tuesday 12 August at 3pm. The winner will work with Ockham Residential, owner of the site at 11 Akepiro Street in Mt Eden, to develop the design into a completed building.
Competition entries will be displayed in the Gallery’s North Atrium.
More Information
- 64 teams submitted conceptual design plans for Stage 1 of the Akepiro Street Design Competition competition
- The competition judges selected 5 entries to take part in Stage 2 of the competition
- Those teams further developed their Stage 1 ideas for presentation to the judges
- The judges are: Richard Goldie (PeddleThorp Archiects – chair); Maggie Carroll (Bureaux Architects); Marshall Cook (Cook Sargisson Pirie); Mark Todd (Ockham Residential); Jacques Victor (Auckland Council)
- The shortlisted teams are: Leuschke Group Architects; S3 Architects; Matthews & Matthews Architects; Waterfall Gunns Lowe Architects; Andrew Sexton Architecture
- The exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki will run from Sunday 10 August until Tuesday 12 August 2014
—ends—
Some pictures from the five entry finalists
Click individual pictures for full resolution
On first impression these designs look rather interesting. That said I will head to the Art Gallery on Monday to take a closer inspection before writing up commentary (as well as the winner) on late Tuesday.
I have seen the NZ Herald article this morning on the competition as well. I see Auckland 2040 commented in their usual self. The only comment it truly deserves is I thought they would be busy with the amount of Further Submissions to the Unitary Plan that came in against them, especially from big hitters in Auckland…’
Talking Southern Auckland 
There seems to be a party missing in the “wider conversation” that Mark Todd thinks needs to be had about the quality of homes going up in this city. Yes – the community! The people who will be living in it and around these developments.
A Special Housing Area(SHA) allows for NO notification. And that has been the case with the Ockham Development that has been consented (August 6, 2014) for the Grafton SHA on Huntly Ave/Khyber Pass. We are OUTRAGED.
Tell Len Brown that this building on Huntly Ave may be “quality” but it most certainly is NOT “affordable” or “sustainable” or “sensitive to local environments”. And despite what Mark Todd states it most certainly will NOT create a “sense of community and complement the neighbourhood”. It is too high ( 6 stories, not 4 stories as PAUP states) and will generate major traffic congestion and likely accidents at a very dangerous intersection. The resulting “rat run” traffic will gridlock Grafton and destroy a very sustainable and liveable neighbourhood.
Beware – the design may look good but the impact of a non-notified development on a Special Housing Area in your neighbour may not be quite how you imagine “Density Done Well – Safe, Sensitive Development” to be. Take action now to ensure that you have a say. Our advice from Grafton is don’t leave it to the Council and Developers to make the decisions for your future communities on your behalf. Speak up now.