Kāinga Ora Development, Northcote, Auckland

Brief
Design and deliver a cohesive, integrated landscape architecture strategy for seven Kāinga Ora superlots across Auckland’s Northcote area.

Sustainable neighbourhoods by design
A 1,500-home piece of the Auckland Housing Programme, Kāinga Ora’s Northcote Development aims to reimagine the shape and atmosphere of a growing suburb on Auckland’s North Shore. Ambitious in scale and scope, the vision includes a blend of state housing, affordable housing, and market housing in one- to fivebedroom configurations, as well as three new pocket parks, the redesign of four of the area’s existing parks, extensive street upgrades, and a lush new greenway that will serve as a walking and cycling path around the suburb.

Considered landscape design forms a vital part of the overall strategy for the renewed Northcote — which is why we’re working with Kāinga Ora on the housing side and Panuku on the property side to implement thoughtful, cohesive landscape architecture across seven superlots within the Northcote project.

Comprising some 480 homes for more than 700 people across two hectares, these seven lots are some of the largest developments in the greater community, which has been masterplanned in its entirety by Isthmus.

This thoughtful lens on landscape architecture draws from the design for the greenway — which will form the green spine of the suburb, connecting people with the land via pedestrian walkways that tie into public reserve paths — as well as in the intention for private outdoor spaces, which can be modified according to residents’ individual preferences and desires.

Context is working with Kāinga Ora as part of the organisation’s Urban Development Delivery (UDD) programme, which looks to develop well-designed, sustainable neighbourhoods throughout Auckland.