Kāinga Ora, Hanson St Apartments
Mt Cook, Wellington
This five-storey social housing development balances budget and strict Kāinga Ora (Housing New Zealand) guidelines with clever planning to enhance quality of life for its residents.
On a 800 sq metre site, the 20 apartments, each between 45 and 55 sq metres, optimise light and space for tenants. The development is split into two blocks, each housing ten one-bedroom units.
"Locating the building close to the street allows space for new communal garden spaces, as well as admitting maximum sunlight into homes and outdoor areas. The shared rear garden also provides a communal drying room that has quickly been claimed by the residents as a shared social space," NZIA Awards Jury comment, "This is a building that should give Kāinga Ora the confidence to create more of this desperately required density of housing".
Read more about the project on the blog.
Photos and video: Andy Spain (last image: Francis Lim)
Awards: NZIA Wellington Architecture Awards, Housing: Multi-Unit, 2021
Materials are robust and low maintenance, the concrete frame structure will be there for the long term. Exterior cladding combines terracotta tiles and cement sheet.
Located in the densely-built central city suburb of Mt Cook, the project sits respectfully in its neighbourhood and is ideally situated close to public transport and social services.