Horizon apartment development, Mission Bay, Auckland. Photo / Supplied
Building apartments in an upmarket, well-established and sought-after suburb such as Mission Bay comes with a certain level of responsibility.
Andrew Weipers understands this well. He's the general manager of development company Reside, which is behind 41 new apartments to be built on the ridge in Mission Bay, and says they knew it was crucial to make sure the new building doesn't look out of place among the gracious homes in the area.
"When we bought the site we knew that Mission Bay was a refined area, and we want to design a building that wasn't a spaceship that really stuck out, but that sunk into the landscape," says Andrew of the building, which features stylish timber exteriors that link it to the surrounding environment.
"Our managing director lives just down the road and I grew up nearby, so we know Mission Bay well. There's nothing quite like Horizon in the area, and we hope we have come up with a product people will welcome. The feedback so far has been amazing; we've had people saying this is what they have been waiting for."
Horizon is expected to appeal to downsizers, including those who want to stay in the neighbourhood to be close to the beach and cafes when they move on from their large family homes.
"They're looking for quality and that's what we're about, first and foremost," says Andrew.
"We're not compromising on anything, including space. It was important to us that the apartments don't just look good, but they are really liveable. So not only are they well-designed apartments with large living spaces, there is plenty of natural light."
That light is provided by ample glazing and carefully thought-out design that groups the one, two and three-bedroom apartments plus penthouses into three pods within the building.
There is a separate lift core for each of the pods, which helps with privacy and security, and will hopefully foster a sense of community among each group of neighbours.
Reside has worked closely with architects Buchan Group to come up with a building that is tasteful and elegant, as well as extremely functional.
Great care has been taken to maximise views of either the harbour and Rangitoto, or across the city to One Tree Hill, and to frame them with 2.7m glazing in living areas. The penthouses will have spectacular sweeping views.
Meanwhile there's the option of ground floor apartments that will have their own private courtyard gardens. "We know there will be some people who still want a garden, but not as big as the one they had with their family home; so these apartments will be perfect for them," says Andrew.
Fittings inside include smoked oak flooring and porcelain tiles, and buyers will have the chance to customise their kitchens.
"When someone is spending a lot of money on an apartment we wanted to give them the option for it to be tailored to their likes.
"We can work around what they want."
Horizon is the first project for Reside, which is part of the Location Group. The firm has had more than 40 years' experience in the property industry, building commercial and residential developments, and has set up Reside specifically to focus on apartments like Horizon.
"This is very exciting for us, and we think it is going to be an exceptional place for people to live," says Andrew.
Demolition of the existing properties is due to start later this year and the completion date is expected to be mid-2020.