Auckland apartment developments: are they the quality compact urban form the Auckland Unitary Plan envisions?

Four apartment developments that have been granted resource consent were randomly selected for this project to evaluate the built outcomes the planning documents produce. This evaluation shows that the AUP potentially lacks the framework and design tools needed to ensure ‘design quality’ in the high-density urban environment it envisions for Auckland.

This has possibly led to poor-quality high-density housing outcomes which lack the appropriate level of amenities such as natural light, cross ventilation, storage, private and public outdoor spaces, and generally, the design flexibility required by Auckland’s diverse population.

Ricci Detro Render 2 — Redevelopment One - Detro Street

Ricci Detro Plans — Redevelopment One - Ground Floor // Floors 1-3 // Fourth Floor

In furthering this inquiry, the four apartment developments were re-designed to meet best practice design ideas, such as those suggested by the Auckland Design Manual and the New South Wales Apartment Design Guide.

Interviews with the property developers establish the reasoning and decision-making process behind building what could be considered poor-quality apartments and shed light on the perceived and actual barriers property developers may face in creating higher-quality apartment developments.

The purpose of re-designing the apartment developments is to show that the inclusion of minimum standards might have a marginal negative financial impact on developers. However, this is greatly outweighed by the positive impact better quality design has on inhabitants’ lives and the long-term development of Auckland.