Beachlands, Auckland
Woods played a key design role in delivering affordable, well-integrated terraced housing in one of Auckland’s most desirable transit-oriented developments.
Pine Harbour is a masterplanned coastal community set around a working marina in Beachlands, East Auckland. With a ferry service offering direct commuter access to the CBD, the area was zoned for medium-density development and designed to encourage compact, walkable living near public transport.
Woods provided the design and planning of a residential block consisting of eight terraced homes, balancing affordability, architectural variation, and site efficiency. The layout comprises three gabled four-bedroom homes (with tandem garages) bookending two central blocks of 2- and 3-unit configurations, each with 2-bedroom homes and parking.
Woods provided urban design and architectural input to deliver a cohesive development that makes smart use of the compact footprint.
Working within the tight site geometry and predetermined platform locations required careful attention to unit sizing, entry placement, and visual continuity. Achieving a net site density of 60 dwellings per hectare — relatively high for the area — also demanded a sensitive architectural approach to maintain liveability and visual appeal.
The gabled four-bedroom homes provide a traditional roofline, while the low-profile, two-bedroom middle units offer a clean, neutral eave. Recessed entries help break up the mass and provide visual rhythm to the block.
Delivering affordability without compromising design was also central to the brief. The modest 115m² site sizes, paired with efficient layouts and thoughtful detailing, made the two-bedroom units a more affordable option in this premium neighbourhood.
The result is a cohesive eight-unit block that integrates well with the surrounding marina village. Woods’ planning, urban design, and architectural teams worked together to ensure the development maximised yield without compromising quality or street appeal.
