Apartment Living at Its Very Best: Our Role in the Kahu Development
Kiwis might traditionally be a bit reluctant to forego the classic stand-alone house on a quarter-acre section, but the Kahu Development in Auckland’s Long Bay Village is showing us that there is a whole lot more to modern apartment living than we might have thought.
At Retro Construction, we are incredibly proud to have brought our commercial building expertise to this landmark project. Working alongside the McCore Group (who are delivering the project for the Templeton Group), our team was contracted to complete the extensive concrete work for the Kahu Development.
Building the Foundation of Long Bay
The Kahu Development comprises 42 north-facing terrace homes right at the centre of the village, just an easy walk from Long Bay Regional Park and Long Bay Beach.
Designed by the Wellington firm Plus Architecture, the homes are set across two buildings that take up a full block of the village. The structures are built across a central mews access-way, sitting on a podium in a park-like setting. Because each unit features dedicated parking—either in the podium, on the underground level, or in tandem garages—our concrete work was absolutely vital to forming the robust, reliable base and subterranean levels that safely support this contemporary environment.
A Transitional Form of Housing
The homes range in size from one to four bedrooms, making them highly attractive to families needing safe walking routes to top-rated schools like Long Bay Primary and Long Bay College, or a quick bus trip to Massey University’s Albany campus.
The McCore Group – founded in 2017 by Michael Wang, Mike Gibson, and Matt Borg – has seen rapid growth by bringing a highly organised, no-nonsense approach to the building industry. Mike Gibson, a fifth-generation New Zealander with 23 years in construction, sees the Kahu Development as the perfect transitional form of housing between the quarter-acre section and a dense multi-unit apartment block.
“Housing based on the quarter-acre section is now too costly, but New Zealanders still want that sense of space and privacy in a home, but at a reasonable price and with a high degree of comfort and close to services,” Gibson explains. “Developments like Kahu seem to fit the middle ground in between.”
Commercial Excellence
For Retro Construction, partnering on a multi-million dollar development like Kahu is a testament to the versatility of our team. Whether we are laying the complex concrete foundations and podiums for a 42-unit commercial development, or meticulously restoring a 100-year-old residential villa, we apply the exact same rigorous standards of project management and quality craftsmanship.
The first half of the Kahu project is heading towards completion early next year, with the second half following later. We are thrilled to see our concrete work holding up such a vibrant, forward-thinking community space!
Do you have a commercial project, or are you planning a residential build that requires expert structural foundations? Contact the team at Retro Construction today to discuss how we can help get your project off the ground.
Retro Construction Ltd – Traditional Experience / Modern Style
