Kerepeti Hobsonville.

We worked with Ngāi Tahu Property (NTP) – the development manager of a partnership between NTP, the New Zealand Superannuation Fund and New Ground Capital – to create a masterplan for this $113 million development. It’s part of the 167-hectare 4,000-home Hobsonville Point project, just 11km north-west of central Auckland that will be home to 11,000 people. We also masterplanned Te Uru, a 233-home Hobsonville Point precinct.

We started by matching densities to locations. Kerewhenua, the larger lot, is medium-density with three-storeyed terraced housing and apartment buildings of up to five storeys. Uku is smaller and suits higher-density design. We carefully detailed 208 homes, 33 more than our client’s target density.

Then we looked at variety. We built in the options you need for the range of stages, ages and incomes that you see in organic communities. There are homes for home workers, stay-at-home parents, retirees and young professionals – all living in one place, creating life and energy. And people coming and going at different times also makes an area safe as well as lively.

We used a lot of brick. It’s enduring and robust – an important factor in denser, higher footfall areas – and low maintenance. And it links to the Hobsonville’s heritage: Māori worked the clay in the area, and brickworks thrived here till the 1930s. Brick also gives the buildings a pleasingly solid home-like character: a good fit with our vision of an enduring community.

The ideas behind Kerepeti are close to our hearts. It is about proving that medium and high-density developments can be great, enduring places to live and profitable for their developers.

We've delivered 208 carefully designed homes; 33 more than our client’s target density.

We believe Kerepeti is a great example of density done well; we hope Aotearoa takes it to heart.