Ian Moore Architects

This mixed use development is located on a beachfront site in Auckland’s eastern suburbs, looking north up the Hauraki Gulf to the mouth of the Waitemata Harbour, the North Shore and Rangitoto Island. The building occupies a corner site over two parcels of land, 387 Tamaki Drive and 6 Maheke Street. The lower level of 387 Tamaki contains a bank, restaurant and the main building entry, around a publicly accessible courtyard, at the centre of which is a rotating sculpture known as ‘The Seedling’. These lower level spaces have been raised 0.5 metres above street level to allow views over parked cars to the beach and water beyond. The middle level of 387 Tamaki contains 5 commercial office suites, while the upper level houses 3 residential apartments that have their own private entry lobby on Maheke Street. The lower level of 6 Maheke contains parking for both buildings, services rooms and the entry lobby for the 2 full floor 3 bedroom residential apartments on the upper levels. The two upper levels have the same architectural expression, without differentiating commercial from residential uses, with the middle level capable of future residential conversion.

The deep rectangular site is enclosed on 2 sides by adjoining developments, resulting in a planning concept based on 6 internal courtyards, in addition to the public courtyard on the northern frontage. This allows for natural light and ventilation to all spaces, with only the commercial office suites being air-conditioned. The courtyards also spatially extend the units and provide views of landscaping. Skylights are employed to all bathrooms of the 387 Tamaki apartments, providing additional natural light and views of the sky from otherwise totally internal spaces. Large balconies to all units provide outdoor spaces to take advantage of the sea views.

The building is constructed entirely of off-white precast concrete panels, with hollow core precast floor panels. The concrete is left exposed to all external faces and internally to all common areas. Angled off-white glass reinforced concrete blades are employed on the east and west faces of the public courtyard for privacy and sun-shading, while maintaining views out to the water. The concrete is complimented by a simple palette of materials to the internal spaces. Honed Basalt paving slabs to all common areas, bathrooms and the living areas of the 6 Maheke apartments. Balconies and internal courtyards are paved with off-white precast concrete slabs while flooring to the 387 Tamaki apartments is white-washed Oak boards. All benchtops are white Corian, fireplaces are clad in black zinc, windows, doors and stair balustrades are light grey powder-coated aluminium. The central cores to all apartments, containing kitchens, bathrooms. laundries and studies are clad in white polyurethane coated panels, to differentiate them from the structural shell.