Street smart

Inserting a new building into a heritage precinct is not a straightforward process. With numerous rules and guidelines in place to protect the character of the area, the planning process is invariably complex.

Brown & Pemberton Planning Group, a specialist resource management planning company, was contracted to manage the planning consent process for the Ironbank project. Director Jeff Brown says the Karangahape Rd precinct has its own development guidelines within the City of Auckland District Plan.

"These are designed to ensure that the architectural character of the street remains intact," he says. "There needs to be consistency in building form and height at street frontages. New buildings in the precinct need to reference the existing values of the heritage architecture, even though they provide a very modern interpretation, as is the case with the Ironbank building."

"There were also a number of parking issues to work through with the district and regional councils, and we obtained variations to the original consent to enable the automated parking facility," Brown says.

Brown & Pemberton works on large infrastructure projects, as well as commercial, urban, rural, tourist and visitor accommodation projects. The team has an extensive range of specialist skills and experience in all fields of resource management planning.

For more information, contact Brown & Pemberton, PO Box 91839, Auckland Mail Centre 1142, phone (09) 377 5499. Email: office@brownpemberton.com. Website: www.brownpemberton.com.

Story by: Trendsideas