Talking Shop - NZRetail

February Issue

Building Auckland Up – Not Out

Much of the Auckland Spatial plan asks business owners, architects, and builders to make Auckland beautiful by building within already designated building areas.  Many of these builds will use unique renovations on already standing establishments. This keeps Auckland from building out into undeveloped areas, leaving more space for wildlife flora and fauna, while also working to accommodate a steadily increasing population.

One example of a smart renovation that maximised space, while improving the look of an older Auckland building, was the recent Nespresso heritage restoration.  Nespresso is known for its coffee flavour creations and coffee-related products. Its environmentally conscious farming methods and work with foreign farmers has been featured in news media around the world.

The new Nespresso Boutique in Auckland’s Newmarket is a rebrand of an entire building. Nespresso has stripped it back and given it a makeover that maintains the charm of an older space while moving the look and feel into today’s trends. Nespresso occupies the ground floor and the rest of the building is divided for multiple uses.

“It’s a great example of a mixed-use building with retail, offices, a restaurant and an apartment on the top floor,” explains Hamish Firth, principle of Mt Hobson Group.  Firth and team were involved in the consenting process throughout the restoration. They worked closely with council planners and urban designers to maintain the character of the building and ensure structural integrity.

“The building is a ‘Character Supporting Building’ and is located on a corner site so it helps to define the area and reinforce the Broadway shopping experience.”

Speaking of shopping, the building is a gateway to Teed Street and Osborne Street, a known retail precinct that has enlarged Newmarket’s reputation for high street shopping. The Nespresso building has been stripped back to its original facade and canopy, and repaired and repainted to express the original built form. 

Judging by the new look and the multi-functioning space, the Nespresso team’s hard work has achieved a positive outcome. “We worked well with council who provided prompt advice and a very quick resource consent turnaround,” said Firth. “I feel that this is a great example of a heritage building restoration in action.”

There are a range of directives in the environment chapter of the new Spatial Plan that focus on growing Auckland with its natural resources in mind, many of which encourage what the council calls a ‘quality, compact Auckland’.

According to Ree Anderson, manager regional strategy, community and cultural policy at the Auckland council, “A range of tools will be used to encourage intensification, including regulations that allow greater intensification, but also a range of non-regulatory tools to achieve these goals. These include the appropriate investment in physical and social infrastructure, incentives and partnerships.”

Since council has pledged to help grow already existing spaces in Auckland, Firth and team expect continued cooperation on heritage restorations and other developments designed to fit with the plan’s proposal.

For more information, contact Meagan Baalman at the Mt Hobson Group at: Meagan@mhg.co.nz.

Nespresso building, Auckland