Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 32 No 6 New Zealand | Page 48

Above: Walled in glass on three
sides, the apartment keeps its cool
though external venetian blinds.
These are operated remotely and
include a sensor that retracts them
into pelmets when the wind picks
up. The floors of the apartment are
in strong vinyl-plank floorboards
that won’t warp with any building
movement or under sunlight. Their
uniform use throughout adds to the
apartment’s sense of space.

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the upper floors with massive expanses of glass
walls and doors – completely opening the apartment to the surrounding cityscape.”
At street level, the front entry and garage
surround fit perfectly into the semi-industrial
location. The dramatic front facade is in a high
pressure commercial grade laminate which is
graffiti-proof and has the look of Corten steel.
Entry to the apartment is via stairs shared with
the offices below or a glass elevator. Connection
between the unit floors is also via the lift or a
feature steel and wood cantilevered staircase.
“The lift was a tricky part of the project. Due

to structural constraints this had to be freestanding with its own steel frame,” says Simons.
In a design that’s all about the views, the
apartment’s kitchen, living and dining zones
take up the entire top floor, with floor-to-ceiling
windows on three sides. A hardworking wall of
seamless dark cabinetry was designed for the
remaining boundary wall. Adding to the unit’s
connection to the wider surroundings, a large
deck extends off one end of the living floor.
“Naturally, with so much glazing involved,
control over heat build up was important. We
solved this by introducing external drop-down