Two-bed apartments at Templeton's NXN complex

Community, culture, and connectivity are key to a vibrant suburb.

The completion of NXN in Kingsland takes these three Cs to the next level in one of the brightest suburbs in Auckland.

Located on Kingsland Terrace and bordering Bond Street and Nixon Park, NXN is not a traditional apartment complex. Pokey shoeboxes are out; NXN turns Auckland’s apartment stock on its head, paying careful attention to design and location.

Project developers Templeton Group, led by Nigel McKenna, don’t design buildings; they create places for people. McKenna says the vision behind NXN’s design was to build a community, not just an apartment complex, that seamlessly integrates with its unusual location: the very edge of Nixon Park.

“Most apartments are north-facing and look out over the park which means residents get to enjoy a fabulous green outlook,” he says.

“We put a lot of effort into resolving how the building would interact with the park in conjunction with council. At its highest point it’s six levels but at the fourth floor it sits back from the park which creates a lot of breathing room for both the building and the park.”

The complex is essentially a series of small buildings that are joined together by multiple lobbies, cores, and lifts that give each occupier a unique sense of privacy and security.

Each lift provides access to only a handful of apartments on each floor, and wide and light corridors and stairwells remove the feeling of living in a hotel.

Different layouts offer an individualisation you wouldn’t normally associate with apartment living, and many homes bridge one side of the building to the other which means residents can open windows on both sides and enjoy cross ventilation, much like they’d experience in a house.

The entrance at 8 Kingsland Terrace fits in with the street too. Five townhouses at the front entrance hide the apartment complex behind them so the frontage remains true to the rest of the street.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in these five terraced homes,” Bayleys agent Julie Quinton says. “Split over four levels with three bathrooms, an internal garage with laundry, and two living areas, they offer easy living and an easy lock-up-and-leave option for families, professionals and empty nesters who want the space.”

Templeton Group has used smart design to encourage community. Seated and garden areas in a large central, communal courtyard create the heart of the complex.

David Parker from Templeton’s residential sales team says NXN’s connectedness to nearby services and amenities give it a real international flavour.

“Most overseas apartment complexes are located near a railway station,” Parker says.

“Proximity to the rest of the city is essential when it comes to determining where a new development should go. NXN is literally five minutes to the Kingsland train station, and when the City Rail Loop is finished it’ll be just one stop away from the CBD.

“Kingsland is vibrant, eclectic and rich in culture. NXN has added to and will continue to improve the overall look and feel of Kingsland, and we expect more apartments of a similar or higher value start to move into the precinct.”

Two and three-bedroom apartments are priced from $1.065m to $2.215m.