Apartments and Townhouses
This section showcases some multi-unit dwellings we have worked on.
Christchurch Townhouses
The development of this
unique Christchurch site requires a special design that provides quality
townhouse living close to the rejuvenated heart of the city.
Our brief was to design four
adjoining townhouses on a wonderful site in the heart of Christchurch Central.
Our design takes advantage
of unimpeded views to the east over the local bowling club allowing the master
bedroom to soak in the morning sun. The west too has a public park that will
never be built out so living rooms on both levels open out to this special
'extension' to the front yard.
Given the long proportion of these townhouses we
have provide a central courtyard open to the sky that provides natural light
into the core of each unit. Skylights align with the
circulation path through the open plan living space.
Wellington Apartments
This is the modernization of an apartment and associated services within a Heritage Art
Deco building in Oriental Bay designed by Architect Edmund Anscombe in the 1930's.
The main objective was to upgrade a rather tired apartment bringing it up to 21st
century standards. This involved opening up and clarifying the
planning. The original kitchen, once the domain of servants in a back
corner, was brought forward to connect with the living area. The most significant feature
of the apartment was the connection of the master bedroom with the living room. The
move compliments the owners lifestyle and introduces morning sun into the
living/kitchen area through translucent sliding doors.
Detailing of these doors
was inspired by the stacked containers viewed across Wellington harbour and
the strong art deco language of the original building. The doors can be backlit
in the evening to provide a subtle diffuse light in the living space.
Backlit translucent
materials are utilized throughout the apartment to provide a uniform light
into dark interior spaces.
We also looked at design options for strengthening the building with structural engineers.
The key requirements were to be sympathetic with the Heritage building and make it more resilient in the event of earthquakes.
Auckland Apartments
The City of Auckland is
experiencing rapid growth with its population expected to double in the next
couple of decades. We entered the New Zealand Institute of Architects design
competition to explore a new typology for apartment living at a unique site on an inner
edge of the city next to a motorway, a railroad and a rare Norfolk Pine that
inspired the building's name and form.
The apartment building sits proudly on a volcanic plateau overlooking
the city of Auckland. This once ignored site marks an exciting industrial
crossroad to converging arterial routes leading into the ever-changing heart of
New Zealand’s fastest growing city. The building provides an exciting gateway
and leading example of a new typology for inner city living. The building is mixed use with a restaurant proposed on the ground floor and sustainable features reducing its carbon footprint and limiting its reliance on the city's infrastructure.
guyevansarchitects.com
