Lofty ambitions in Mt Eden block

Botanica Heritage development.

BOTANICA HERITAGE, 5 MARY ST, MT EDEN

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ON OFFER: 14 loft and warehouse apartments. a) One 1-bed, 1-bath warehouse apartment — sold. B) Eight 2-bed, 2-bath warehouse apartments, some with studies; 94sq m to 148sq m (all including internal balconies) from $1.15 million to $1.595 million including 1 to 2 car parks. c) One 2-bed, 2-bath loft apartment; 114sq m (including internal balcony) $1.35 million including 2 car parks. d) Four 3-bed, 2-bath loft apartments; 136sqm to 186sq m (all including internal balconies); $1.65 million to $2.25 million including two car parks.

BODY CORP: $2583 to $10,107 a year.

INSPECT: Display suite by appointment only.

ON THE WEB: botanicaheritage.co.nz

SCHOOL ZONES: Newmarket School, Auckland Normal Intermediate, AGS, AGGs.

CONTACT: 0800 268 2642 or Duncan MacDonald, Colliers, 021 903 237.

The industrial charm of a 1900s commercial building's original character features will permeate a boutique ensemble of 14 character apartments.

Managing director of McDougall Reidy & Co, Greg Reidy says: "It was originally an industrial building built around 1900 and used for the storage of timber.

"It has some lovely character features such as upper-level lofted ceilings with exposed timber beams.

"All of the apartments have a high stud, ranging from 3.5m to about 5m at the peak of the upper floor, with lots of volume and air."

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Botanica Heritage is a joint venture by McDougall Reidy and Haydn Rollett Construction. The two are also behind neighbouring development Botanica Mt Eden (its name referencing lush landscaping). Its 67 new-built apartments sold out within six weeks of public launch mid last year.

Greg says: "Part of the appeal of that development and this one is this great location in an area that's really undergoing a 'butterfly effect' with so much development and refurbishment underway. Even the Horse and Trap pub across the road is currently being refurbished.

"It's close to Mt Eden Village, the CBD and Newmarket with good access to transport including train stations."

These industrially inspired apartments fit into a more premium bracket than your typical cookie-cutter new builds. That's because they're more spacious, with higher costs involved due to the intricacies of configuring apartments within the existing framework of a historic character building which has already undergone earthquake strengthening.

Situated on the corner of Mary and Enfield streets, the three-level building with basement car parking was converted to character office space about a decade ago. Some of the more premium aspects of that conversion will be retained. These include the atmospheric Mary St foyer, partially lined in copper-battened timber and integrating the charm of exposed original brick walls.

Image 1 of 7: A former industrial building has been converted to chic modern apartments.

Most apartments integrate the versatility of an internal balcony, which is effectively an indoor-outdoor room. These apartments will have full-height glass walls opening to their balcony via sliding doors; the balcony will be able to be open-air or closed off from the elements with bi-fold windows.

The premium $2.25-million loft apartment boasts a double-sided gas fireplace straddling its balcony's interface.

The five loft apartments are all on Level Two, which is actually the third storey, as the ground level will offer an on-site cafe-restaurant. They benefit from the double-pitched roofline with chunky timber beams.

Level One's warehouse apartments embrace the industrial vibe of old concrete beams and a chunkily beamed concrete ceiling.

The joint venture partners bought this building in late 2014 as part of one purchase partially driven by the vacant car-parking lot next door from which Botanica Living will rise.

Greg says: "As we came to terms with the potential offered by this character building we thought, 'Why would we lease this as office space when it would make such fantastic residential space?' These will be unique apartments."

Peddle Thorp architects and interior designers conceived the conversion plans which allow mezzanine levels in two loft apartments. Level Two has native timber floors while Level One's concrete floors can be polished or carpeted over.

Entry to the onsite display suite, which showcases the upper level vaulted ceiling and its chunky timber beams, is by appointment.

The project is scheduled to start this September and be completed May 2017; a shorter time-line than some projects seeing it is a conversion rather than a new-build.