Location: Hobsonville Point, Auckland, New Zealand.

Architect: Monk Mackenzie.

The Launch Bay Apartments were designed with a focus on creating dramatic spatial effects by carving out building mass. The design was inspired by the grandness of historic military structures on the former aircraft base where the apartments are located. The building shapes are simple and clear, with sculpted openings that create a bold line between inside and outside. The architects cut into the building mass to create pedestrian through-site links and a strong architectural identity. The remaining mass is designed to be a refined and quiet volume, with a fine horizontal lattice of metal louvers creating a backdrop to the street. The development includes apartments of various sizes and two-storey townhouses, with a densely planted landscape between them to enrich the outlook for both ground level and upper level dwellings. The simple building shapes complement the natural lines of the surrounding landscape. At dusk, the carved portals retreat and the street wall visually comes to the fore, while at night the latticework is beautifully illuminated from within. The design aimed to focus prime investment on key shared spaces and achieve drama through a concentrated number of large moves, while the remaining building mass quietly complements the grand gestures. The intention was to address the financial metrics underwriting the development and provide an engaging pedestrian experience.