Big changes are coming for the Tāmaki Makaurau suburb of Ōwairaka-Mt Albert, in the form of a ground-breaking partnership between Ockham Residential and Marutūāhu Iwi.
The 11-hectare staged development will eventually comprise 40 new apartment buildings, ultimately becoming home for 3000 people in a meticulously planned project that is expected to take 10-15 years to complete.
The new community named Maungārongo – meaning peace – will be set around the Unitec campus and Carrington Hospital site, running from Point Chevalier to Mt Albert. On the hospital site, the original iconic and historic buildings will remain, while various out-buildings – constructed much later – are set to be demolished.
“Toi is the first of four buildings in the initial phase,” says in-house architectural designer, Hannah Chiaroni-Clarke.
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“We’ve based the design of the buildings around the life stages of the harakeke (flax) plant. The bright, verdant green brick facade at Toi signifies new life and growth.”
When the time comes, the next building will represent the stalk and flower stem of harakeke, clad in dark purple and red bricks, with the third building darker green, representing the main growth phase. Finally, Building Four’s silvery green bricks will relate to the woven phase of the older leaves.
While bricks are an Ockham signature, favoured for their durability and low-maintenance elegance, they also allow Chiaroni-Clarke to challenge her design horizons.
The new community named Maungārongo – meaning peace – will be set around the Unitec campus and Carrington Hospital site, running from Point Chevalier to Mt Albert. Photo / Supplied
“The pattern of the bricks at Toi are inspired by the tukutuku panels of the great Marutūāhu wharenui, Hotunui, at Auckland Museum,” she says.
It’s an example, says Chiaroni-Clarke, of the openness of the Ockham management team to new ideas, which gives her practically unrivalled creative freedom.
She adds creating a new neighbourhood from the ground up feels thrilling, almost monumental.
Toi (the name means art, or knowledge) is now being marketed with an expected completion date in early 2025.
The seven-level building with 65 units, including studios, along with two and three-bedroom, affordable apartments will be built at the Point Chevalier end of Maungārongo. A studio apartment is priced from $530,000, two-bedroom units from $720,000, and three bedrooms from $875,000.
The seven-level building with 65 units, including studios, two and three-bedroom apartments will be built at the Point Chevalier end of Maungārongo where you can ebike to the city in just 10 minutes. Photo / Supplied
The development will take 10-15 years to complete and will comprise 40 new apartment buildings and become home for 3000 people. Photo / Supplied
“It’s an amazing location,” says Chiaroni-Clarke. “You can e-bike to the city in just 10 minutes, or there are two train stations nearby, then on the other hand you can turn the opposite way and easily drive out to Piha.”
She sees Ockham Residences CEO and co-founder Mark Todd as something of a visionary, committed to creating lasting communities and approaching each project with passion and enthusiasm.
Todd’s aim is to produce buildings which he says, “age gracefully with minimal ongoing costs, by using durable materials”.
Encouraging residents to take pride in their homes and surroundings is a basic Ockham principle and Toi dwellers will enjoy a residents’ lounge, commercial space for cafes or convenience stores, plus a playground and enormous bike storage room. There is also limited carparking available.
As other buildings in the overall Maungārongo development take shape, further facilities such as a supermarket, medical centre, creche, gym, swimming pool, and offices will be added to the mix and attractive landscaping will further enhance the community’s green aspects.
- Sponsored by Ockham
