Paeroa Racecourse, Waikato

Brief
Refurbish the existing racecourse stands and associated buildings to create a heritage area that respects the history of the site.

On track to reinvent Paeroa Racecourse
Nine years after the last horse crossed the finish line, Paeroa Racecourse has a new lease of life, with an aspirational vision to develop the 33.5-hectare property. We’ve been working with the developers on a Plan Change, focussing on an integrated design solution to ensure a welcoming experience for residents of, and visitors to, Paeroa.

The proposed mixed-use structure plan includes refurbishing the racecourse stands and some of the associated buildings to create a heritage area, positioned alongside zones for commercial, tourist accommodation, and residential lots.

Key design considerations included: Maximising the connection with the views and landscape, retaining a connection to the site’s important heritage, and selecting species ecologically appropriate to the location to support native biodiversity.

Context’s scope has been to lead the design process with both urban design and landscape design. We have developed the brief with the client and consultant team, which included economic advice to determine an appropriate use for the site.

From this basis, we tested various approaches, including the use of key structuring elements to develop an illustrative masterplan that has been used to inform the proposed structure plan and Plan Change application.

The proposal anticipates a mix of section sizes for ‘vacant subdivision lots’, unique recreation opportunities, such as walkways, cycle tracks, informal play, and quiet areas, tourist accommodation, conference/event facilities, retail, commercial, food/beverage opportunities, and options for education and a cultural centre.