Flexibility in Form & Function - Ockham
How Bath Co’s customised solutions created a knockout design for Ockham development.

The brief:

Auckland developer Ockham Residential was looking for smart thinking and conscious design when embarking on an ambitious residential apartment project in Grey Lynn. Nixon Street is a build-to-rent development in New Zealand – a model that is hugely popular in Europe but is fairly new in New Zealand.

This style of development works well when the residence is in prime position and designed and finished well. The fit-out must stand the test of time in terms of quality, durability, and functional design. Bath Co’s customisable, sustainable, and stylish solutions were the perfect match for the unique project.

The team at Ockham were looking for a bathroom furniture partner with experience in apartments, and a curated range of quality, stylish finishes. The team came to us with the exciting challenge of fitting out thirty-two apartments of varying sizes. Utilising every inch of the small footprint and providing durable surfaces that would stand the test of time was non-negotiables.

Below we take you through the design and fit-out process and explore how our customisable range and considered thinking made quick work of this complex development puzzle.

The project challenge:

Ockham’s brief was to create a cohesive look across multiple apartments with a durable and modern finish. Using each bathroom’s footprint to its full potential and creating functional spaces that are deceptively spacious.

Nixon Street’s lead designer, Hannah Chiaroni-Clarke, said the project’s challenge was the vanities were close to the doors and bathrooms varied in size across the development. The team wanted to create a cohesive look despite different footprints.

Bath Co’s range is made in New Zealand, which gives us the ability to provide customisable solutions cost-effectively and quickly compared to products sourced overseas.

Hannah says, “Bath Co offers these cool packer panels that we can stick next to vanity so the drawers can open. They have had loads of experience in apartment projects. They're very accommodating and flexible with custom colours, finishes and sizes.”

The design phase:

Our Bath Co team worked with Hannah from the project’s inception. With residential experience under our belt, we had the expertise to jump in and offer solutions to maximise the smaller bathroom space that is typically found in apartments.

“The apartments are quite compact, so we needed a whole lot of different sizes, but we wanted to offer the same colour range in all of them, and Bath Co could do that for us,” says Hannah.

“I really like working with Bath Co because we could call them early on and work out whether they could make us custom sizes. They always said yes!”

Hickory Walnut was the chosen palette for the bathroom furniture to bring warmth and texture to the apartments. The finish is durable melamine to handle the life of a busy bathroom while offering a modern look and clean lines.

“We wanted a certain look, and we liked the handles and drawers. We used two types of vanities but they're similar, which gives a consistent look throughout the building,” continues Hannah.

The fit-out:

With the initial design phase complete, we worked with site manager Keir Evans to bring the project to life. Bath Co’s commercial manager Chris Andersen kept a close eye on all aspects of the installation.

Keir says, “there was really good support, always with a good attitude. I felt comfortable asking them for any information, and providing help was never a drama.”

At Bath Co, we take a hands-on approach when we’re involved in a project to ensure the fit-out process runs smoothly. We understand project timelines are tight and a successful build relies on all teams working like a well-oiled machine.

Keirs explains “it's critically important that things are there when they need to be because I have the appropriate number of staff ready to do that job on that day. A day’s delay can easily turn into a week as that sub trade might have to go off to another job site and then not be able to come back for a week.”

Bath Co collaborates closely with our partners and has a team on the ground working hard to ensure everything is on time and enquiries and returns are dealt with swiftly.

“If something was damaged during transit or onsite, I’d ring and ask for a replacement. The next minute, I’d get a phone call from Chris saying, “I'm outside, where are you mate?” It was awesome, I couldn't believe it,” says Keirs.

On all projects to ensure things are super clear with no hiccups during installation, we provide each project with a site toolbox that explains step-by-step everything the install team needs to know about fitting the Bath Co products supplied - giving the building team peace of mind there will be no surprises on the day.

“Chris came onsite to explain everything, which saved us a potential delay and supplied a shim that made installing the vanities much easier.”

The Nixon Street bathroom fit-outs were finished on time, customised to fit the different spaces, and added a warmth with the choice of rich walnut throughout the build. When asked how the team rated the quality of our bathroom furniture, the Ockham team had nothing but praise for the products and process.