The Rise, Titirangi – transforming a vacant site into a ridgetop statement

Rising above the Waitakere Ranges and with sweeping views of the Manukau Harbour, a new development in Titirangi, Auckland is uniquely poised to provide retail opportunities as well as spaces for people to work.

The commercial development called ‘The Rise’ is due for completion towards the end of 2020. It is an environmentally sensitive building that will feature six to eight retail units in a range of sizes, and 650m2 of commercial space above.

The energy efficient building is positioned between the iconic Lopdell House at one end of the village, and myriad of character filled village shops at the other end. Underneath it has 42 carparks.

Titirangi Village is just 13km from Auckland’s CBD and, due to special legislation that protects the natural features of the Waitakere Ranges, is one of the rare character filled villages that still exist at the hub of a truly close knit community. The village is home to a small supermarket, galleries, a chemist, a selection of food and beverage, boutique retail, small commercial offices, a petrol station, library, kindergarten and a school.

When this unique property came to the market in 2017 after long term family ownership Broadway Property Group felt it was a special opportunity for a project that would enhance the local Titirangi community as well as create a distinctive that both Broadway and Titirangi as a whole could be proud of. While Broadway Property Group is an experienced developer with a range of larger scale commercial projects across Auckland, ‘The Rise’ takes this experience and applies it in a boutique and local setting.

The family owned company intends to stay in the area for the long term, and therefore asked architect firm RCG to design a building that would be a long lasting investment.

The brief to RCG was clear:

·      Connect Lopdell house to the village, without dominating it.
·      Design building that is classic and timeless while also being modern and aspirational.
·      Relate to the streetscape and integrate public access through the building
·      Minimise impact and enhance visual connections to the natural environment
·      Use high quality a durable materials

The resulting concept is a building that wraps around the prominent corner of Titirangi and South Titirangi Roads. It features a striking corner street frontage with a balcony extending along South Titirangi Rd creating an active and vibrant interaction with this street and a prominent North West facing dining environment.

The façade is wall ceramic porcelain stoneware rainscreen tile, contrasting with metal high ridge profile cladding which emphasise the horizontal features and reflect the rhythm and properties of Lopdell House in a contemporary manner.

42 carparks have been provided at basement level in order to reduce the visual impact of vehicle parking impact on the environment. Pedestrian links have been enhanced from the community centre to the village as well as from Lopdell house to the village.

 “We appreciate that a personal connection with nature is an intrinsic aspect of living and working in Titirangi,” says Broadway Group director Adrian Hughes. “The building is designed to reflect the natural environment and the green wall will provide an aesthetic link between Mt Atkinson and the lower slopes.”

Because the intention is to retain long term ownership of the building, Broadway Group have been sensitive to the local community’s perceptions. This includes building underneath the maximum permitted height so as to not dominate Lopdell House next door. It also includes a range of retail and office size options from 50-250m2, in the hope of attracting a mix of prospective tenants that would mean more people spending time and shipping in the village.

“We spent time getting to understand the community before we started design and planning,” says Hughes. “One thing that came through very clearly was that attention to detail was important: we needed to focus on natural materials, energy efficiency, and sensitive design.”

The design was created in consultation with Auckland Council’s Urban Design Panel and Te Kawerau a Maki. Broadway appreciates and respects the cultural and spiritual values of the mana whenua with Kaitiakitanga (guardianship) responsibilities for the area. In particular is the view of all entities (i.e., water, land, air, physical objects, people etc.) as having a mauri (life force) that assists with function and purpose. Emphasis has been placed throughout the development process on consultation, inclusion and respect for all parties connected or associated with the cultural heritage of this area.

Work began on the site in March 2018 and is expected to take 18-22 months to complete.