Photography: Sonya Lethbridge
Construction: Bay River Limited
Garden Apartments
2008 Gisborne & Hawke's Bay architecture award
This is an exceptionally well resolved and carefully crafted complex of eight apartments which is successful on all levels. The understated use of materials and sensitive scale allow the building to sit well with its neighbours. Retaining the existing trees on site enhances the sense of place and feeling of maturity in the project.
The transition between the parking and apartments, with its slatted screens and well detailed walkways, offers a sense of privacy and intimacy while providing opportunity for that often elusive sense of community.
Ultimately, the Garden Apartments are a confident and considered resolution of a complex brief, handled in an inspiring way. [NZIA citation]
