Anyone passing Stonefields in the past few weeks will have noticed a new ‘Neuhaus’ sign at the junction of College Road / Ngahue Drive. The sign leads to a bright yellow structure further in the site, which is the show unit for Neuhaus, the high quality apartments and terrace houses proposed for the centre of Stonefields.
Village News caught up with Fiona Wright of Platypus, the company behind Neuhaus, to ask her about what’s proposed:
Please tell us about what you are doing – firstly, why is your development called ‘Neuhaus’?
New Zealanders are quick to adapt, to evolve. The story of Auckland’s progress is easily seen in the evolution of architectural styles of dwellings from one period to the next: pioneer cottages, Victorian villas, Edwardian bungalows, art deco, brick and tile and so forth. With each architectural variation certain design elements have remained, as they are constant precursors of the New Zealand way of life.
Every once in a while a perfect opportunity arises to create a new way of living which reflects the desires of modern New Zealanders. We had this in mind when our architects and designers began to create this landmark development.
Neuhaus embraces our New Zealand elements of design in a modern way of living. It is a development that blends hints of the modernist Bauhaus movement with all the things that truly define our way of life.
What is the Bauhaus style?
The Bauhaus movement celebrated linear flow and curves with monolithic surfaces and features. It is kind of like Art Deco movement without the filigree – very modern and bold, and sure to become a design classic in years to come.
The Bauhaus movement recognised that form is the primary driver of function. It showed that large living and working spaces could be designed efficiently with understated architectural features. The effect was to present linear structures in a way that was both attractive to the eye and confidently bold in stature. Neuhaus is exactly that. Every effort has been made to compose a series of strong ‘identities’ within our terrace and apartment typologies.
Does Neuhaus take any cues from the Stonefields landscape?
Absolutely. We have drawn inspiration from the dramatic natural attributes of the landscape, and this in turn has influenced the palette of materials used. For example, stone or heavily textured walls at street level complement sculptured pre-cast concrete elements above. Individual and specific materials are used to reinforce this sense of identity.
How many residences will there be?
Neuhaus comprises of 4 distinct buildings with 235 residences in total. This is a 2-stage development; stage one and stage two both comprise of apartments and terraces. Stage one contains 54 apartments in building 600 and 62 terraces in building 601.
What sort of dwellings are you putting into Neuhaus?
We have two styles of residences – terraces and apartments. The terraces combine the best of a terraced house with an apartment with 1 and a half levels and are approximately 100m2 plus decks and courtyard. The apartments are typical one level with lift access.
What sort of lifestyles will be on offer at Neuhaus?
Our design team has been working on two main concept types to suit the range of modern New Zealand lifestyles.
The first type is the corner apartment buildings, which rise to 5 levels above the ground. The design has been conceived with a very clean and minimalist façade and the building curves around the corner from the main arterial route to the boulevard leading to the lake. Sweeping curves are reinforced with a generously cantilevered roofline and a natural stone wall at street level anchoring the building to the ground.
The second type comprises of two distinct types of terraces (upper and lower) which overlook the street. The design provides a unified, modern and contemporary aesthetic. The street façade is punctuated with individual house entries which are provided for each group of four terraces. The transition between the public and private realm for residence is provided by a change in level by planter, louvered screens and steps leading to an elevated entry foyer.
Both designs feature common elements that are presented in an entirely different way; private outdoor spaces for living and entertaining, floor to ceiling doors and windows which capture the light and offer a continuum between indoors and outdoors and open kitchen-living areas that create flexible living spaces.
Why did you choose to place this product in Stonefields – what do you think Stonefields will offer your customers?
Stonefields is one of the last large residential sites in Auckland. Landco took this as an opportunity to create a well planned living environment, incorporating progressive thinking on sustainability and urban design concepts.
As well as places to live, Stonefields will offer a fantastic mix of retail services, recreational areas and a primary school which will all contribute to creating a strong community group.
Platypus shares this vision of quality living environments, so we when an opportunity to be involved in this project arose, we took advantage of it.
Who are your architects and interior designers?
The architects for the project are Archaus Architects, an innovative design practice with offices in Wellington and Auckland. The interior designer is Vee Smit of Space Studio, Auckland.
When will you start to build these buildings?
We anticipate construction starting in January 2009.
When do you think the first / last apartments will be finished?
The first apartments are anticipated to be completed mid 2010.
What will your price range be?
The terraces start at $595,000 and the apartments are between $495,000 and $615,000.
Tell me more about Platypus:
Platypus is an innovative property development company based in Auckland. Highly responsive to market demands, we create quality projects designed to make a real difference to their local communities. Platypus differentiates itself by setting high architectural standards for all its projects melding each seamlessly into its surroundings; building to the highest possible quality standards and by creating environments where people want to work, live and relax – the Platypus `liveability’ factor.
What other projects have you done?
We are about to start construction on stage one of three staged development in Albany, we also have a luxury apartment development in Paihia and manage a number of commercial developments.
You have put a show unit onto site at Stonefields – how long will it be there?
Our show unit is located within Stonefields at the corner of Bluegrey and Stonemason Ave. Although it will be on site for probably the next 2-3 years, I’d encourage people to come down and have a look now to see the possibilities that we offer.
What does the show unit contain?
It contains all the information about our Neuhaus concept and the surrounding Stonefields area. This includes artist impressions, animated fly through, plans, pricing and specifications.
What will the show unit’s opening hours be – and will it be staffed?
It is open 10am to 5pm on the weekends and 10am to 3pm daily during the week – and it is always staffed.
How can people who are interested in buying an apartment get in touch with you?
They can contact us on 570 7073, email us on info@neuhaus.co.nz or look at our website, which is www.neuhaus.co.nz.