By arranging the buildings around the central core, a ‘public’ frontage is created along the edge of the roadway. Each building unit has its own private court or frontage which is defined by planting, a change of level or a combination of timber screens and planting. Private outdoor areas are either located in the front or at the rear of units with orientation to the sun and privacy being a priority.
Clearly identified building entry points and circulation routes, as well as definition between private courtyards, communal spaces and public zones are included in the design. Public, private and communal spaces are delineated using CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles to promote and enhance safety and community interaction.
Once an unused section of land that was often referred to as a ‘swamp’, the site is a collection point for runoff and underground water systems that permeate the area, evident by water seepage and generally wet ground over the lower sections of the site.
Recognition of this association with groundwater is reflected in the design in a number of ways. Most notably, in the centre of the site, stormwater from the roadway is directed to a bioswale that captures contaminants from the initial flush of water during light rain and acts as a detention pond in heavy flows.
The central bioswale is a focus for the development of the circulation pattern and as an element of sustainable design, a point for community meetings and a visual amenity. The proposed vegetation for this area is predominantly wetland species of Phormium tenax (flax), Carex secta, Eleocharis sphacelata (bamboo spike-sedge) and other sedges that will take periodic inundation or wet ground, as well as taller woody species such as Laurelia novae-zelandiae (Pukatea) and Cordyline australis (ti kouka) that will reflect the ground conditions and give a distinctive vegetation type for the development.
The landscape design reinforces the feeling of community that is created by the arrangement of housing units around the central open space, with its bioswale. This attractive and sustainable design element treats stormwater and gives unique identity that references to the hydrology of the site. Defined and well-lit walkways with identifiable private front and rear courtyards that clearly demarcate private and public space are expressed in the landscape to give a safe environment to those who live and visit the site.
