84 | Omni Architecture T T Virginia Wright Cohesion the key to community housing The duplexes show what can be done when affordable buildability is combined with a quality finish to make the most of every site. “Our intention is to design a community-focused living environment rather than individual standalone pieces…” ARCHITECTURE After completing his Masters Degree in Architecture at Auckland University in 2014, Omni Architecture’s director, Zhengbang Liu, spent a couple of years working back in Beijing, where he gained wide range of experience across different types of projects. This was thanks to the fast pace of development at the time: public civil buildings and large- scale commercial developments, transit-oriented development (TOD) projects, such as train and subway stations, and a winery built as a visitor attraction for the village that grew the thorn pears from which its nongrape wine was made. When Zhengbang and his partner decided to return to New Zealand in 2017, he started collaborating with development company Goodform Living Ltd, and last year they combined forces to establish Omni Architecture to give him more autonomy when it came to taking on clients other than Goodform. “We wanted to start looking outwards and get exposed to more variety, rather than working on our own designs day after day,” says Zhengbang. Omni’s team of three are still involved in the first stage (150 houses) of Goodform’s 70-hectare parcel of a much larger Auranga development in Karaka, Drury, south of Auckland, being developed by MADE, who have a master plan of the whole area. The streamlined designs, featuring a mix of walk-up units, terrace houses, duplex and standalone houses, have been a big part of Omni’s work, and Zhengbang is looking forward to working with clients whose needs aren’t as clearly defined, which will give him more creative scope as an architectural designer. Wanting to expand their reach doesn’t stop Omni being delighted to have been commended at this year’s Architectural Designers New Zealand Awards for their outstanding work on one of the smaller multi-house developments that make up their contribution to Auranga. Burberry Heights is a 27 multi-unit suburban development, explains Zhengbang. “Our intention is to design a community-focused living environment rather than individual standalone pieces, because when you’re putting lots of houses together the major thing is not how each of them looks, but how together they form a better community.” Built by Topview Construction in its second collaboration with Omni and Goodform, the 13 duplexes and one standalone dwelling show what can be done when affordable buildability is combined with a quality finish to make the most of every site. Each dwelling has an entry veranda providing a soft buffering zone for the transition from public, community space into the private home. Colour and cohesive building forms, such as gable rooves, create village-like clusters of houses, each of which is meticulously designed to suit the needs of contemporary families. With generous floor plans from 180sqm, including four large bedrooms, three or more bathrooms, high ceilings and integrated smart home technologies, these homes provide comfortable, sustainable, and technologically advanced living environments. When he was seeking inspiration while designing Burberry heights, Zhengbang says he looked to Frank Lloyd Wright and one of his quotes: “No house should ever be built on a hill or on anything; it should be of the hill, belonging to it.” In the same way, he wants Burberry Heights to feel like it’s part of the land, and feedback from the people already living in around half of the dwellings available is that they are feeling comfortably at home, enjoying everything you get when you live in a development that’s part of the broader environmentally conscious urban planning of Auranga. It is also strategically positioned near key transport routes and close to Drury South Crossing’s commercial and industrial precinct. Your Local Landscaping and Civil Experts Proudly Supporting Omni Architecture info@cpagarden.co.nz 021 289 4888 Contact Us
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