A solution to Auckland's housing woes ?

by The REJIGIT Blog


If more and more people are determined to live in Auckland's inner city areas, one of the solutions is obviously to build up. High density housing and particularly in conventional high rise structures is not everyone's ideal residential preference.

Singapore's "The Interlace" has the wow factor and given that it provides 1040 residential units and associated amenities within a footprint of eight hectares, such an architectural concept may be appropriate for the likes of Auckland.

                        

The Interlace was built for CapitaLand Singapore and comprises a series of apartment blocks stacked diagonally across one another to frame a network of terraces and gardens.

The architectural design was conceived as the antithesis of conventional tower blocks and consists of thirty one apartment buildings arranged and stacked in honeycomb configurations which frame eight large hexagonal courtyards.

Six-storey blocks are stacked up in configurations of two, three and four, creating three peaks of twenty four storeys. Multi-storey voids between blocks provide for light and ventilation across the site.

                               

The landscape design incorporates extensive roof gardens, landscaped sky terraces, cascading balcony vegetation and planted green common areas.

The design incorporates many sustainability features resulting from a detailed environmental analysis of sun, wind and micro-climate conditions. Water bodies have been strategically placed within air corridors in order to allow evaporative cooling to occur along the corridors thus managing ambient air temperatures and improving thermal comfort in and around recreational spaces.

                      

Mr Ole Scheeren managed the project while working at Rem Koolhaas' architectural practice Office for Metropolitan Architecture based in Rotterdam. He now operates his own Beijing based Architectural Studio, Büro Ole Scheeren which has also expanded to Berlin and Bangkok.

                                          

The building contract was commissioned in 2007 and completed in 2013 and the design was awarded the 2015 World Building of the Year.

The site stretches between Singapore's Kent ridge, Telok Blangah Hill and Mount Faber Parks and is situated at the junction of Alexandra Road and Depot Road, bounded by the Ayer Rajah Expressway to the north.

                   

The property occupies 8 Hectares

The overall building complex comprises 170,000 sq.m.

1040 residences - 144,000 sq.m.

Clubhouse & Amenities – 1500 sq.m.

Retail Space – 500 sq.m.

Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing facilities – 24,000 sq.m.

Basement parking is provided for 2600 vehicles