Unlike other apartment complexes, The Electric, Kingsland’s latest development on the ridge at 445 New North Road will have a proudly unconventional, active facade that animates the street. Up above the ground level retail stores, balconies will be semi-enclosed and private behind movable screens nestled among lush climbing greenery.
The Electric’s architect Simon Woodall, a director of the award-winning practice Chow:Hill, says the design of the layouts and the apartment mix for 33 homes was the result of a collaborative process with Colliers, who researched the market and responded very specifically.
The aim was to create high quality, beautiful spaces attuned to a diverse range of people who want access to the business, transport and social aspects of inner city Auckland. The Electric is based on the concept of ‘live differently’, acknowledging the variety of personalities that make up Kingsland.
Sydney-inspired
To achieve this, Simon and his team were inspired by bold, high profile, multi-residential developments around the Sydney foreshore, specifically those in Darling Harbour and the Hyde.
“We wanted to produce a piece of design that simultaneously felt at home in Kingsland and yet stood out in the middle of a constantly evolving, energetic neighbourhood,” says Simon.
“What I liked about the Sydney apartments, which I hadn’t really seen before, was the strong vertical rhythm of movement where lovely green moments gave relief across the elevation. There were people, sitting, watching and moving the outdoor screens which gave the opportunity to control their balcony environments. The street-face was constantly changing. These elements drew my attention as things I wanted to incorporate.”
Without being flashy, the architecture is modern and self-assured, comfortable in its context but different to other buildings around it. But the big thing about it, says Simon is its flexibility though the apartments typically have a single aspect, facing one side or the other, offering views – either to Mt Eden and Eden Park, Owairaka and Mt Albert, or northwest to Western Springs and Arch Hill or with a long view to the Waitākere Ranges and the Upper Waitematā Harbour or back to the energy and vibrance of the street.
“That’s the exciting thing about living here, the cafes, restaurants and the hospitality culture are all on your doorstep. And Eden Park and the train station are just around the corner,” says Simon.
Interchangeable outdoor spaces
Larger than normal, 2.5-metre deep balconies extend the bedrooms and living spaces outdoors and can be used year-round. They’re great places to entertain, says Simon. The only exception are the studios which look into a quiet, contemplative, Japanese inspired zen garden with a water feature.
Just like their counterparts in Sydney, the apartments have either sliding or bifolding doors to patios and balconies which can be enclosed as sunrooms that add flexibility. “It’s all about giving choices,” Simon says. “They can be left open but it’s easy to slide the doors across for shade or shelter or when residents want to turn their backs on the vibrancy of the street.”
Multiple floorplans of different sizes are designed to accommodate a variety of lifestyles. Ranging from 50-155 square metres, excluding terraces, layout options include studios, one, one with a multi-purpose room, two and three bedroom units.
A rooftop garden penthouse of 667 square metres, including an extensive outdoor terrace, boasts 360-degree views over Auckland. That’s larger than a lot of the proportions of traditional homes in Kingsland and Grey Lynn, Simon points out.
Interchangeable outdoor spaces
Larger than normal, 2.5-metre deep balconies extend the bedrooms and living spaces outdoors and can be used year-round. They’re great places to entertain, says Simon. The only exception are the studios which look into a quiet, contemplative, Japanese inspired zen garden with a water feature.
Just like their counterparts in Sydney, the apartments have either sliding or bifolding doors to patios and balconies which can be enclosed as sunrooms that add flexibility. “It’s all about giving choices,” Simon says. “They can be left open but it’s easy to slide the doors across for shade or shelter or when residents want to turn their backs on the vibrancy of the street.”
Multiple floorplans of different sizes are designed to accommodate a variety of lifestyles. Ranging from 50-155 square metres, excluding terraces, layout options include studios, one, one with a multi-purpose room, two and three bedroom units.
A rooftop garden penthouse of 667 square metres, including an extensive outdoor terrace, boasts 360-degree views over Auckland. That’s larger than a lot of the proportions of traditional homes in Kingsland and Grey Lynn, Simon points out.
Colliers’ project sales manager, Juliet Lichtenstein, says The Electric is being developed by the Cassidy family who have lived and worked in Kingsland since the 1980s.
By locals, for locals
“Over the decades, the neighbourhood evolved and the family found itself with an exciting opportunity to make a positive and lasting contribution to the advancing area while remaining true to the heritage spirit of Kingsland,” she says.
It’s not that Chow: Hill has replicated the old style of the neighbourhood. Far from it. The Electric feels very contemporary.
“But we have done a really thorough study of the area and some of that language has been incorporated into the building, albeit in a modern interpretation, where “all eyes are on the street”. “We’re trying to make the street façade open so it’s a continuation of the shop frontage.”
Inside, the apartments are modern but the colour and materials palette is neutral allowing personal belongings to take precedence. Two schemes will appeal to the design conscious with a choice of finishes – one more edgy than the other. Timber laminates unify the living spaces with bagged brick Intertenancy walls that add layers of texture and a point of difference.
One-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments have single or tandem car parks and full height storage units are allocated for each. Spaces for bikes and motorbike parking bays are also available.
The display suite will be open from June at 445 New North Road. Prices range from $695,000 to more than $2.75 million; the garden penthouse is POA. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2023 with purchasers taking up residence in early 2024. To learn more, check the website: theelectric.co.nz
History of Kingsland
In 1852 John McElwain purchased 22 hectares and received an adjoining 24 hectares from his brother George to farm in what is present-day Kingsland. Cabbage Tree Swamp Road was one of the original streets. For obvious reasons, the settlers appealed that title, and it became Kingsland Road.
Population growth combined with rail and bus connections into the city by the early 1880s encouraged John McElwain to subdivide his farm. In 1882, 227 allotments were laid out. Kingsland Avenue — along with First, Second, Third and Fourth Avenues — provided road access to properties. Prices for sections in the subdivision ranged from £28-100. Buildings date predominantly from the Edwardian and the interwar periods.
By 1903 trams serviced the area, and Kingsland was a well-established residential suburb. When the northwestern motorway cut through the suburb in the 1970s, it severed the cross streets that linked Kingsland to Arch Hill and Mt Eden. Bond St became the sole direct connection to these suburbs.
Only 5km from Auckland’s CBD, Kingsland is well-served by trains and buses. The train station is in the heart of Kingsland village, and trains run regularly into the city and the western suburbs beyond.
