This coastal penthouse impresses with its contemporary design and panoramic outlook

Over five levels, Milford 110 presents 20 contemporary apartments in the heart of Milford, each evoking a timeless elegance and understated sophistication. It's an exquisite building with contemporary lines further accentuated by horizontal and linear volumes that sit lightly on the site. The resulting architecture sees each apartment immersed in the surrounding natural beauty of the urban landscape, the bay and the lake, diminishing the barriers between indoor and outdoor living. 

Decorative concrete panels, timber-inspired outdoor surfaces, natural stone, glass and architectural metalwork all harmonise to create a feeling of luxury with design longevity.

The penthouse is no different with its open-plan layout, bespoke finishes and curated aesthetic with views extending to Rangitoto Island and back towards the city skyline.

A dark, moody kitchen with black Italian stone and aged brass accents is the focal point of the expansive living space. A generous island bench with room for seating at one end is perfect for entertaining; complemented by high-end appliances, including a wine fridge and a walk-in butler’s pantry. 

From here, views across the water can be enjoyed – soak up the warmth of the fireplace in the lounge area or wander out onto the wraparound decks for alfresco dining. 

An entertainer’s dream, decking also extends from a second informal living space where a bar area impresses with its open shelving and woven-tiled splashback. 

“The materiality was specified by our team; we designed not only the outside of the building, but we designed the entire interior of the apartment development. The copper and brass finishes and the black are very contemporary,” says Daniel Bulog, Director at Brave Architects. “The penthouse has a pavilion-style feel to it. There are lots of vertical and horizontal planes, lots of open glass, clean and contemporary lines; it feels lovely with simple and honest materials and high-quality fittings.”

This high-calibre level of detail is something Brave Architects delivers to projects of all sizes – from commercial developments to individual apartments and standalone residential homes. 

The beauty of the Milford 110 project has also been admired by the local community, with the building having successfully changed community perceptions and received compliments. Much of this is due to the team’s integrated design and considered materiality across the entire project with effective stakeholder engagement. 

“The most challenging part of this project was the window of time where it got built, being in the lead-up to Covid. During Covid, there were reasonably significant challenges in procuring materials, and honing and refining building techniques to fit what was available and who was available at the time to fall in line with Covid restrictions and requirements. So that was one of the big hurdles, and the other one was going through the planning stage and getting resource consent because it was really one of the first of its type in the area,” says Bulog. 

“This area has been long-standing and people tend to live there for a long time because it has great amenities, it’s a very special part of our city, so Milford 110 brought a change of thought process and a change in the way that Auckland’s been developed. We wanted to be at the forefront of quality architecture – we set the bar high for ourselves. Now that the building is complete, there have been so many compliments about how fantastic it looks.”

Experienced in approaching projects from a homeowner’s or developer’s perspective, Brave Architects are an asset in successful project design and implementation. 

“We understand the nuts and bolts of what makes property development successful, not only from a financial perspective but also from a design perspective for longevity and engaging with key stakeholders like the local community and other parties that have an invested interest in those areas. It’s a form of placemaking – the best developers will surround themselves with great consultants like Brave Architects,” says Bulog. 

Showcasing Brave’s commitment to delivering bespoke and thoughtful designs that meet client aspirations, the team is also skilled in working across different styles and scales where creating a bespoke piece of architecture that is tailored to the client’s needs is at the forefront of mind.

“We gain a lot of joy from listening to and sharing ideas with our clients along the design process. We ensure that we’re inclusive, feeding back information, thoughts and ideas, and I think that’s when you get that extra layer of richness and quality in a project. You get everyone buying into the project, which is even more powerful.”

If you’re a developer looking to achieve exceptional results, or a residential owner looking to create a bespoke architectural home, seeking the expertise of Brave Architects is a great place to start. Explore more of the architectural firm’s projects on ArchiPro or get in touch to learn more.