78 | ARCHITECTURE MAS Architecture: King St Apartments/Offices T T Rosa Watson Inner-city apartments create new buzz Each of the four apartments is 200sqm and includes three bedrooms - one upstairs and two downstairs. A new development in central Invercargill with four apartments and a commercial space on the ground floor is providing modern urban living to the city’s housing scene. The King Street apartments were designed by Invercargill-based MAS Architecture. The project came about when the practice was looking for new office space and this property came up for sale, director Matt Anderson-Stewart said. “We weren’t looking to buy a property but with some quick thinking and homework we knew what potential this land had for future development.” The practice became involved as the designer as Matt and his wife, Amy, had invested in the site with his parents and sister. “My parents wanted to downscale and were attracted to the idea of apartment style living and my sister, wife and I were keen to give it a go from an investment point of view.” The building includes four apartments and a small commercial space that MAS now occupies, “which is nice to work in something you have designed”. The apartments were a new housing feature for Invercargill. “Typically, in the Invercargill urban landscape this style of living or development is not common, so that alone created a lot of interest not just within the practice but also by the general public. “It was a project that presented challenges, not so much with planning and consents more to do with design principles that present themselves when intensifying a lot of this size. “Ensuring the design still incorporates qualities of good urban design and the amenities of the end user are considered in full throughout the design.” Each of the four apartments is 200sqm and includes three bedrooms - one upstairs and two downstairs. There is a double garage downstairs with the living area and kitchen upstairs, with lift and stair access. And Queen’s Park is a 250-metre walk away. Matt believes apartment living was becoming a lot more appealing to many, and there are many parts of Invercargill where more “urban living” developments would work well for the city. It opened up more opportunities in life while living in a low-maintenance environment, he said. There was already student accommodation in the city, like the SIT apartments, but in terms of modern private residential accommodation it was pretty limited, he said. Building so close to a suburban hub like Windsor means residents were a walk away from conveniences like a supermarket, physio, and chemist. The family have lived and breathed the project in recent years, with Matt both design architectural designer and architect of the idea. But he was proud of the result. “In terms of the design principles, it’sworked out perfect.” MAS was started in May 2014 with Matt deciding to go out on his own in May 2014. The name MAS was coined after Matt’s initials - Matt Anderson-Stewart. It started as just Matt working out from the back of the garage and has now to a team of seven, with one based in the Christchurch office. The practice specialises in bespoke residential homes, alterations and light commercial design and documentation. It prided itself in producing exciting and responsive architecture to clients briefs with a careful eye for detail, while also taking a practical approach to deliver projects of high quality, Matt said. “We are a practice that values the design process from initial concept design through all stages of design and documentation to final completion.” “We genuinely love what we do and see the design process as a collaborative approach to ensure the end result is not only achieved but enjoyed,” Matt said. Two Southland families dedicated to delivering exceptional workmanship, a passion for building and a keen eye for detail that provides quality builds our clients are proud of. Lukus Murch 021 028 42593 Marcus Bradley 027 362 6175 www.bmbuilding.co.nz info@bmbuilding.co.nz @bmbuildingltd @bradleymurchbuilding
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