Construction underway for significant senior housing development

The six-to-eight-storey development, which has been designed by Architectus, is one of our most ambitious to date. Main contractor CMP Construction, who will be delivering four of the apartment blocks, got works underway in April.

Construction and Innovation General Manager Patrick Dougherty says Highbury Triangle will breathe new life into an underutilised part of Avondale.

“Previously, just 45 older homes stood on the nearly one hectare site, which is located between Great North Road, Ash Street and Community Lane, just behind the Avondale town centre.

“Through smart design, we’ll be providing 236 apartments, equating to approximately five times the number of homes, while still providing an excellent level of amenity and open space,” Patrick says.

“What’s more, the development will free up about five hectares of public housing land. Once complete, it will allow us to replace several ageing senior housing complexes across Avondale and Blockhouse Bay.

“Highbury Triangle is just one of several complexes we’re in the process of delivering which includes homes specifically designed for our older public housing customers,” Patrick says.

At Highbury Triangle, four of the five apartment buildings will house senior residents. These one and one-and-a half-bedroom homes will be built to Kāinga Ora universal design standards, which includes such things as wider hallways and level access.

Indicative image of Highbury Triangle development

The remaining building facing Great North Road has been designed to cater for individuals and small families of all ages. It will include a mix of one and two-bedroom public housing apartments, alongside ground floor commercial space.

Creating a sense of connection is key to the overall development, Patrick says. “The senior housing apartment buildings will contain multi-purpose community rooms and facilities where customers can socialise and host gatherings.”

The grounds include about 1500 sqm of landscaped areas, incorporating shared vegetable and flower gardens, as well as glasshouses where customers can grow seedlings. Adding to the sense of place are two existing pohutukawa trees and one oak tree, which are being carefully protected during development.

The complex includes secure swipe card access for apartments, lifts and multi-purpose community rooms. Well-lit pathways, landscaping and the orientation of apartments have all been designed to contribute towards safer spaces. A tenancy management office within the complex will enable customers to connect with our local team onsite.

Highbury Triangle also aims to raise the bar on built sustainability outcomes, resulting in warmer, healthier, more energy efficient homes. The development is targeting a New Zealand Green Building Council 7 Homestar rating and one of the six-storey buildings will be constructed in mass timber.

Built Environs is involved as the early contractor involvement partner for the mass timber building, which will commence construction in late 2022.

Cross-laminated timber panels and laminated veneer lumber framing will make up the structural components, with balcony beams constructed using glulam, a glued laminated structural timber technology. The building will also feature a modular panelised external cladding system, with windows already incorporated.

These off-site manufacturing technologies will help reduce carbon emissions across the development, while also minimising construction waste and shortening build times. The development will be completed in stages from late-2023 to mid-2024.

Indicative image of Highbury Triangle development from Great North Road