219 Riccarton Road

Kāinga Ora’s brief required the redevelopment of the site to provide 20 units within an apartment building with the focus on providing homes for elderly clients, and those living with a disability. The three-storey building is Kāinga Ora’s first medium-density accessible complex in Christchurch and replaces four Kāinga Ora homes, which were removed in 2015 after damaged in the Canterbury Earthquakes.

The building is located on a prominent site along Riccarton Road with a favourable position directly adjacent Shands Crescent Reserve. Located to the north of the site, the building has been orientated to align with the Riccarton Road frontage, providing a relationship to the street with both public and private areas. All ground floor units have a north facing garden and their own pedestrian entry from Riccarton Road. The higher-level units all have balconies addressing the street and car parking is discretely provided behind the building and accessed from the quieter residential feeder streets to either side.

The choice of façade materiality references the red Canterbury brick characteristics of the area with the distinctive gable roofs prominent when travelling east and west along Riccarton Road – particularly from the east with Shand Reserve in the foreground. With a focus towards elderly and those living with a disability and associated impairments, the project aligns with best-practice features of universal design including elements such as generous circulation paths, raised outdoor garden areas, and a dedicated mobility scooter charging room.