Tactical masterplanning for Timaru.

Over the decades there has been a slow decline in the health of Timaru city centre, with many heritage buildings remaining vacant or threatened by earthquake strengthening issues. Shops close early, and there is a disconnect between town and sea, and a new retail development at the edge of town has further impacted traditional main street retail. The CityTown programme was initiated to create a long-term vision and strategy to return investment, people and vitality to the centre of Timaru.

In collaboration with Gap Filler we developed a programme of trials alongside the strategic framework, with evaluation and monitoring aligned to outcomes and key moves. This tactical approach enabled localised testing of the place strategy, and helped people experience ideas in real-time through temporary activation and physical interventions. This was the first time that a tactical urbanism approach to masterplanning had been tried in Aotearoa, and we learned some valuable lessons on the ground about what worked, and what didn’t.

Read more about this innovative project here and the dedicated project website www.timarucitytown.co.nz

Revitalising Waihōpai Invercargill’s Streets.

The centre of Invercargill Waihōpai is undergoing substantial change. Private development has been matched by Council investment in the public realm through a programme of city centre upgrades, creating streets for people. Working with Council, mana whenua and the community, Isthmus developed the Invercargill City Centre Master Plan, a 30-year vision for the city centre as a place for people.

The detailed design of the first two streets, Esk and Don, has drawn on the qualities of this place and the deep local knowledge of Waihōpai Runaka. Both streets feature generous greenspaces incorporating stormwater treatment, local native plant species, mahi toi and play features. Seating has been positioned on the south sides of streets where it is sunny, and angled towards the east with planting behind to shelter from the bitter southwest winds. Fixed and moveable furniture creates a range of spaces flexible enough to host solo buskers through to busy community markets and festivals.

 

Read more about the project here.

New Cuba Street studio open.

We had outgrown our Wellington studio in Chews Lane, and made the decision to relocate to a more vibrant neighbourhood where we could create an accessible, collaborative and flexible space full of light. We have designed the new studio to evolve according to the people and projects within it.

191 Cuba Street is a space where will continue to work alongside our clients and collaborators on projects that regenerate Aotearoa. This is a fresh start for Isthmus in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, backed by over two decades of experience in the capital. We are excited to finally move in, and look forward to welcoming you to the new studio soon.

Tauranga residential intensification studied.

The Bay of Plenty is a desirable place to live—its urban areas are under pressure to increase housing supply and density. Tauranga is earmarked to accommodate much of this growth as enabled through Plan Change 33. Isthmus were commissioned by Tauranga City Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to study the urban areas of Tauranga and propose measures to ensure that future urban intensification is planned appropriately in relation to identified landscape values.

An innovative methodology was developed to identify appropriate areas with the capacity to accommodate urban intensification through increased development height and density, whilst protecting the identified natural character and outstanding landscape values. This involved working with a mix of GIS and computational design strategies to create a data-rich, yet coherent 3D digital model on which to base our analysis and assessment.

Read more about the project here

Connecting land, people and culture.

The summer shutdown has given us time to rest, reconnect and reflect. We’re recharged after spending time with friends and whānau and come back refreshed, ready for new adventures. Our studios have reopened, continuing our kaupapa; to regenerate Aotearoa by connecting land, people and culture.

We are working on a huge range of transformative projects across the country. 2024 promises to be another year of challenge and change—we’ll need to remain adaptable, resourceful and resilient. We look forward to advancing our mahi together in 2024.

Now selling—Arthaus, Parnell.

Winton, who specialise in integrated and fully master-planned communities across Aotearoa, selected Isthmus to plan and design a boutique residential project on a corner of Parnell Road. Arthaus has been designed to complement the existing character of the area and offers five luxurious apartments within easy reach of local amenities. The building will gently increase density in this urban setting.

The architecture responds to, and respects, the surrounding heritage buildings through the use of materials and depth of the elevations—from a heavy, basalt-like brick base, the building is rhythmically clad in pale porcelain. The apartments themselves have been shaped in four ways—first by the grid of the façade; second the generous balconies oriented to the north; thirdly by stretching the glazing to the absolute limit to fully connect with the landscape and the sky; and finally by creating open and generous volumes.

For more information about the design visit Isthmus’ Arthaus project page and Winton’s website. (Visualisations by One to One Hundred).