The good life

Living a relaxed, carefree lifestyle by the sea remains an aspiration for many of us. Increasingly, we are also looking for freehold, environmentally friendly homes in safe neighbourhoods.

Kensington Park is a 40-acre master-planned community, a concept popular in the United States and Europe, and about to become better known here, says sales and marketing director of Kensington Properties Michael de Seymour.

"This new showcase development situated in Orewa, 25 minutes north of Auckland, has recently been recognised as a market leader, having won awards for Best Overall Development, Best Architecture and Best Property Marketing in the Asia Pacific region at the highly prestigious CNBC International Property Awards, and is now in line to progress to the global awards for property development excellence," he says.

The development includes a massive $10 million landscaping and facilities programme incorporating lakes, parks, a gymnasium, sauna and four pools, as well as a boutique retail centre featuring a delicatessen, restaurant, cafe and wine bar. Five and a half kilometres of walkways and a neighbouring native bush reserve leading to the beach encourage residents to incorporate walking in their day.

"Mature native trees nestled within pockets of land, palm-shaded boulevards and waterways surrounded by boardwalks with soft underlighting are all just a stroll away from Orewa Beach, and provide a sense of lifestyle," says de Seymour.

The homes in Kensington Park many of which are already occupied are designed to reflect both traditional and new values, as people look for safe, community-minded neighbourhoods.

This is not a gated development, but it gives the impression of one, with a distinctive clock tower located at the park entrance and a high level of security with a community feel, says de Seymour.

"Although each home is different from its neighbour, homes are part of the same design concept, with a relaxed beach-like feel that follows the Florida style of architecture. We positioned the homes to retain the mature native trees, including a stand of 300-year-old puriri trees, and kept clear lines of sight to the sea."

The development includes a variety of housing styles, from detached houses to terraced homes and apartments. Energy efficiency was incorporated into every aspect of the building process.

"From the way the streets are designed, to the materials used for interiors, the principles of sustainability, durability and community are taken into account. With its soft curves, the layout of roads not only ensures maximum safety for residents and pedestrians, it has also been designed to give maximum view corridors to the homes," says de Seymour.

Where possible, homes are insulated to higher than normal standards in the floors, walls and ceilings. The buildings are oriented for maximum energy efficiency, and incorporate hot water solar panels on the roof, low-energy heat pumps and double-glazed windows.

"These energy-saving initiatives, carried out with Right House, a subsidiary of Meridian Energy, will allow owners of these homes to reduce their power bills by almost 60% a year," says de Seymour.

Homes have been installed with the latest fibre-optic cabling, which will deliver extremely high-speed telephone, internet and television services. Swipe cards are used for the pools, gym and sauna to ensure that access is controlled.

For details, contact Kensington Park, phone 0800 57 67 392, or visit the website: www.kensingtonpark.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas