In 2015, Woods was tasked with leading the development of two hectares of empty reserve land located at 20 Link Drive, Whangaparaoa, Auckland.

Woods Involvement 

Auckland Council-owned Panuku Development began the development in 2010. Over the years there had been numerous schemes and consultants involved in the project. However, once Woods became involved a real impetus on delivering a built outcome gained momentum. Panuku Development chose Woods to lead the project, because of its ability to provide an integrated service, which included civil engineering, stormwater engineering, urban and architectural design. Later in 2015, Panuku Development decided to reduce its development risk and found a development partner, private developer McConnell Property, who chose to continue with Woods based on the high-quality preliminary work already completed.  McConnell Property  was granted to deliver 60 two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes, along with the wetland reserve and playground. 

The goal was to design and gain Auckland City Council approval for a residential development of more than 50 units. 
 

Challenges

The site sits on a confluence of steams, in which flooding needed to be managed in order to protect nearby homes.  The design needed to balance increasing density with ecological values and amenities for residents.  

Woods performance

Many of the houses are three storeys high with varied designs and material palettes, creating interesting and attractive street environments while enabling the open space on each lot to be maximised.

References

This article from the Local Government Magazine talks about the project’s achievements, balancing increased density with ecological values, and amenity for residents: Mariner Rise – Where ecology, children, and stormwater meet.