Kohimarama Apartments

This apartment building has been nestled a stone’s throw from Kohimarama beach since the mid-1960s. Its solid, reliable form had barely changed in 60 years, and it was slipping into quiet oblivion as the flashy suburbs grew up around it. The project began by honouring the building’s old bones, a solid base of red brick. The brick was retained, and tired fibre cement cladding was replaced with the crisp lines of black NuWall contrasting with the softness and warmth of cedar. Timber joinery was replaced with full height, reconfigured, aluminium and glass, to ensure a watertight envelope. Battens reach up from the deck spaces, adding interesting shapes, acting as privacy screens, and mimicking the lines of the gate, creating one cohesive façade from the street. Looking to the future, existing concrete intertenancy walls were extended to create new wing walls on sturdy footings. The wing walls will support an additional level in the future – two more apartments created with steel framing, extending across the top of the building and maximising the incredible views towards Rangitoto. Read more about this project here