Bin Ma, the developer of this complex of five Takapuna townhouses, saw so much potential in the land and location, that he lived in the site’s original home for several years before he began development.
He purchased 16 Killarney Street in 2018 and put a great deal of thought into what design would work best, while enjoying having Takapuna beach and village right on his doorstep.
“It’s such a convenient location and at the beginning there were a few options, due to the zoning. We could have built a five-storey apartment building but as the land is medium sized, I finally decided to do five terraced houses.”
The height limit worked in his favour and steered his decision to make each freehold home four storeys, as opposed to the more common three to maximise the space for a more luxury townhouse than most.
Start your property search
“The height limit is 16 metres so we could built tall – the taller the building, the better the view. So I put a rooftop terrace on the top of each to maximise the sea, lake and city views.”
As he’s targeting downsizers looking for an easy, lock-and-leave lifestyle, each four-bedroom, three-bathroom residence has a private, New Zealand-made lift, that travels to every level, up to the rooftop terrace. It also comes with 10 years’ worth of free servicing.
The building’s four-storey design required adherence to the New Zealand Building Code for commercial standards rather than residential, necessitating more robust construction methods.
Instead of traditional building paper, WrapShield, a breathable, waterproof membrane with likeness to “frog skin”, was applied over rigid fibre cement board to wrap the entire structure. This advanced solution helped regulate moisture while protecting against water damage.
The floor plans are the same for all five houses – double internal garage and one ensuite bedroom on the ground floor, open-plan living, dining and kitchen upstairs, three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the next level and a rooftop terrace.
The rooftop terrace offers sea, lake and city views.
To maintain the membrane’s effectiveness, VaproBond silicon sealant was used to seal each screw penetration, preventing water absorption and maintaining the building’s overall waterproofing effectiveness. This means these homes are seriously solid.
“They are concrete and steel hybrid structures, with concrete intertenancy walls and steel beams and columns. The piles underneath the foundations are seven metres deep and there are 55 piles underneath the two buildings – 60 tonnes of steel.
“The exterior panels are concrete and aluminium and are soundproof, so even the two, street-front homes are very quiet inside when you close the doors.”
The functional floor plans are the same for all five houses, with the ground floor incorporating the double internal garage and additional bedroom with ensuite, which makes the ideal office, media room or guest accommodation.
Upstairs offers the open-plan living, dining and kitchen spaces, with the kitchens equipped with Miele appliances to appeal to chefs and keen hosts.
The three remaining bedrooms are serviced by two bathrooms on level two, then the rooftop terrace is the perfect spot for entertaining with exceptional views. While every home has stunning sea and city vistas, the front two also enjoy expansive lake views.
The townhouses are targeted at downsizers looking for an easy, lock-and-leave lifestyle and offer many amenities including a private lift, EV chargers and wheelchair access.
The kitchen is equipped with Miele appliances to appeal to chefs and keen hosts.
With his target audience in mind, Ma has thought of everything. This includes installing EV chargers in the garage, Wi-Fi extenders to penetrate the concrete floors and walls, a minibar and sink on the rooftop terrace for easy food and drink preparation, sensor-controlled LED lighting throughout and proportions spacious enough to accommodate a wheelchair with ease – including the lift.
“I wanted to create solid, welcoming homes that are convenient and really easy to live in. It’s such a fantastic area – I wanted to create a lifestyle. You don’t need to drive anywhere, you can walk to the beach, library, the shops and restaurants in four minutes.”
Matt Rogers and Travis Adolph, from Harcourts, are to market these five brand new properties, which they relaunched this year.
“We’re getting a lot of enquiries now, these homes are so well-built and the location, almost at the top of Takapuna, means you’ve got views all the way around,” says Rogers.
“They’re all freehold, so there’s no cross-lease concerns or body corporate fees, and the developer designed, built and oversaw the whole process. He now has other projects to move onto so is realistic and wants them sold.”
Units A-E at 16 Killarney Street in Takapuna, North Shore, Auckland, are for sale.
- Sponsored by Harcourts Cooper & Co
