Business South August 2020

42 | Volume 29 | Issue 4 businesssouth Lewis Bradford is pleased to have provided structural engineering expertise across a wide range of quality projects with Borrmeister Architects. We wish them continued success for the future. www.lewisbradford.com ARCHITECTURE » Borrmeister Architects Kim Newth “Many apartments and townhouses in the central city were lost in the earthquakes. This has been a wonderful opportunity for us to create a quality living environment to help draw people back in.” D esigned by Borrmeister Architects, a group of six new townhouses located near Christch- urch’s central city are a strong example of how to balance considered architecture with an urban living environment. Every commission is unique and special for Borrmeister Architects and this project once again reflects the team’s dedication to achieving design excellence. Director Wulf Borrmeister and architect Jasper Kelly worked closely with the client, Parker Con- struction, to design six triple-floored free-standing townhouses, capturing sun and providing private indoor-outdoor living. The location on Durham Street North is conveni- ently close to the city centre yet, with good connec- tions having been made to a neighbouring reserve, the setting is friendly and relaxed. Pathways between units and a common courtyard layout at ground level draw the homes together. It feels a little like a mini-village, even more so with shared pedestrian access through to the reserve. “Many apartments and townhouses in the central city were lost in the earthquakes,” Jasper says. “This has been a wonderful opportunity for us to create a quality living environment to help draw people back in.” Urban village designed for quality of life While each of the homes is unique, they have been designed with some unifying concepts. Oriented to catch the northerly sun, these homes have also been planned well for comfortable outdoor living. Highlights of the design approach include tall atrium style entrance halls, well-appointed kitchens and open plan living areas with double height voids, lofty timber feature stairs, generous mezzanines, private balconies and playful facades to create variation and interest. One of the clever features of the design is each three-bedroom townhouse has its own private city and reserve outlook and ther are options at every level to be inside the building or out enjoying the views. Well-designed roof forms make the most of the building heights, with an automatic opening skylight The six free-standing townhouses are designed to capture the sun and provide private indoor-outdoor living.