Arrowtown Offices

Originally asked to provide heritage advice, Origin Consultants Ltd was subsequently engaged to design a complex of office spaces on a steep site in the center of Arrowtown. The section is located in a District Plan zone with a number of protected features, restrictions and limitations. The site backs onto Arrow Lane, behind the Bendix Stables Restaurant, and forms the backdrop for one of Arrowtown’s key views; across Buckingham Green, as seen from Buckingham Street. Origin Consultants Ltd has put together a proposal that aims to respond to the site’s context and topography, in a way that we feel is sensitive to its prominent location. The approach was to design a “collection” of buildings, each slightly different in size, form & character, assembled on the hillside in a manner that provides visual interest & variety, in a slightly understated but cohesive manner. Whilst the proposal is not intended to make a statement, we feel strongly that it shouldn’t be subsumed into its surroundings to the point of disappearing. Whilst every care has been taken to put together a design that remains in-keeping with the picturesque nature and archetypal values of Arrowtown, it has also been important to consider the financial viability of the project. The proposal has been envisioned as a series of office units, which will help provide for the increasing demand for commercial spaces in Arrowtown. The site is well-located for a development of this nature, being only a stone’s throw from Buckingham Street and falling within the Town Centre Transition Overlay Zone. Origin was responsible for the design and co-ordination of the design team. During the documentation of the project went through a