Design case study: Low-maintenance lifestyle in Epsom
The Auckland Design Manual (ADM) is Auckland Council’s best practice design guide full of tips, inspiration and information for people who are designing, building or developing in Auckland. If you’re looking for great examples of home design, the ADM has an amazing library of case studies from Auckland, Wellington and abroad.
Each month on OurAuckland we’ll showcase a case study from the ADM.
Multi-Unit Residential Development – Manukau Rd, Epsom
Completed in 2007, this residential development is a unique alternative to the traditional semi-detached terraced development.
The eight-unit townhouse development sits on Manukau Rd, a busy arterial that runs from central Auckland through to the South. The design approach has been carefully considered to ensure the buildings interact well with the street face while still maintaining a good level of privacy and security for the residents.
Retaining walls and recessed balconies have been carefully placed to minimise noise, maximise sun light and provide security while still looking attractive from the road.
The building needed to provide the maximum amount of dwellings the density permitted for the site, in this case eight units. Flexible planning controls and generous site size allowed greater scope to achieve this. A staggered building form was utilised to meet the particular site context of apartments and mixed use dwellings.
A modern interpretation of the 19th century two storey single-bay villas found across Epsom and surrounding suburbs, the development offers an alternative to a standard residential dwelling for people looking for a low maintenance lifestyle close to shops and the local centre.