Skhy Stage 2 - Newton. Photo / Supplied
It's extremely exciting buying a brand new apartment off the plans but there's usually one major downside — the long wait before you get to actually move in.
Fortunately, for buyers of homes in Auckland's new Skhy precinct, that's not going to be an issue. Thanks to canny planning by developers Lamont and Co, a lot of the pre-building work for the second stage was done while construction was carried out on the first stage, so the apartments are expected to be completed by mid-2019.
"Because we have already constructed the foundations and car parks for stage two we've got a bit of a headstart," says director Tim Lamont. "There was a lot of planning in the early stages to execute that, and it means purchasers aren't having to wait a couple of years or more to move in."
Residents have already started moving into stage one, which involved transforming a 1970s office block on the site, on the corner of Symonds St and Khyber Pass Rd in Newton (the name Skhy, pronounced sky, combines the first two letters of each thoroughfare).
Stage two is all new, but references the semi-industrial style of the tower block, with exposed concrete beams and columns in many of the apartments. There are three separate buildings, set around a beautifully landscaped square, that contain pavilion, terrace and two-storey apartments.
The standout feature of the pavilion building is its striking saw tooth roof structure. This creates sloping ceilings that extend up to 3.5m, allowing for high-level north and east facing clerestory windows.
They've also been designed so that generous private terraces extend across each apartment's northern facade.
The terraced apartments, meanwhile, have west facing balconies and living areas that overlook Skhy's garden square and beyond to the Waitemata Harbour and the Waitakere ranges.
The inspiration for the design of the two-storey apartments was the famous Unite d'Habitation modernist housing development in Marseille, France, which is one of the best-known works of acclaimed architect Le Corbusier.
Concrete panels on the south facade of the two-storey apartment building are positioned to resemble fins, creating quiet internal sanctuaries while directing views to the west and drawing in the afternoon sun. The living areas are in the northern part, overlooking the garden square.
The man behind the impressive design of Skhy is award-winning architect Pip Cheshire. His team at Cheshire Architects takes on only special projects, and in the past has transformed Britomart and City Works Depot.
"The need for urban housing with good access to public transport is something that is being increasingly understood," Pip says.
Not only do developers and architects need to meet numbers of houses required, but they need to provide "a building stock that we can be proud of that offers a really good quality of life, and so Skhy is a critical part of that evolution".
It's a huge coup to have Pip working on Skhy, says Tim.
"The architecture is bold and we hope that will help to make Skhy really iconic."
The precinct, which will include some commercial premises, has proved very popular, with apartments selling quickly.
"I think people are appreciating the quality of the architecture — we're getting really positive feedback — and also see that this area has got a lot going for it," says Tim.
"It's very close to restaurants, transport and parks. We think it is going to be a very exciting place to live."