26 | T T to page 28 Herriot Melhuish O’Neill Architects - The Poplars T T Kim Newth Making a statement in the inner-city “Red brick provides a cohesive and simple finish that’s low maintenance, durable and perfect for an urban environment like this.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT The Poplars, Fletcher Living’s latest new inner city neighbourhood in Christchurch, combines distinctive urban architecture with a desirable location near the Avon River alongside the Margaret Mahy Playground. Located between Madras and Manchester Streets, Fletcher Living’s newest One Central release is bringing a balanced mix of two- and three-bedroom townhouses and one- and two-bedroom apartments to this popular urban area. Designed by award-winning Herriot Melhuish O’Neill Architects (HMOA), The Poplars offers premium city living close to New Regent Street, numerous cafes, restaurants and shops, as well as amenities like Tūranga Central Library and One NZ Stadium. At the heart of the new seven-building development, currently under construction, is a shared garden with a sunken courtyard connecting to the playground next door. The clay-rich hills of Darfield inspired the visually striking brick finish in this new urban development. Canterbury Clay Bricks, a third generation family-owned business, operates a modern plant close to its natural raw material sources. At The Poplars, more than one million clay bricks are being laid to create the warm, textured look that’s a defining feature of the new neighbourhood. “Red brick provides a cohesive and simple finish that’s low maintenance, durable and perfect for an urban environment like this,” says project architect Nic Sewell. “We wanted a really strong individual identity on the site and so picked that consistent cladding for all the buildings. It’s a standard Canterbury Clay Brick but we specified slightly more variation in brick colour and texture to add more visual interest due to the project’s scale.” The development has a well-considered layout on site, with the larger apartment blocks providing scale along the edge of busy Madras Street and acting as a buffer to traffic and prevailing wind, while the lower blocks in the centre frame the garden and sunken courtyard. “We wanted to create as much shelter as we could and a pleasant environment within the site. It also made sense to have the more urban apartments on the edge, changing through to family-oriented townhouses as you move closer to the playground. “The two storey townhouses in the centre of the site open directly onto the garden and courtyard area. All units have their own private outdoor spaces, whether it’s a balcony or a little terrace, but the central garden provides a nice large outdoor space where children can play and families can gather.” Community space and carparking have been carefully balanced in the design. The three-storey townhouses have garages and there is dedicated perpendicular carparking off accessways for other units. Proud supplier to Fletcher Living Built like custom. In stock and ready to fit. Wardrobes Systems | Accessories | Linen Storage | Sliding Doors Free Design and Quote • Installation • Nationwide Delivery • DIY simplywardrobes.co.nz 03 379 0292 sales@simplywardrobes.co.nz
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