One Central Bedford
Attracting younger professionals and families to reside in the central city was a significant vision for the regeneration of central Christchurch following the earthquakes. A new, Fletcher Living residential precinct, designed by Architectus Christchurch, has delivered affordable living in a dynamic, people-focused environment close to the city’s heart.
The award-winning development One Central Bedford Apartments & Terraces is testament to the importance of inner city living and the need to prioritise people and spaces ahead of cars and parking issues.
The Bedford precinct, the 2022 NZIA’s winning Multi-Unit Home of the Year, is an Architectus project that forms part of the southern most part of the One Central master plan. Carsten Auer, Director Principal for Architectus Christchurch says their vision was to create a diverse and dynamic precinct that appealed in particular to younger professionals and families, drawing on the 7,660m2 site’s industrial heritage.
Incumbent on this approach was to complement the Innovation Precinct to the south as well as the warehouse buildings housing the former entertainment district of Sol Square and the industrial heritage of the wider site. Predominant use of metal and brick cladding has reflected the importance of respecting the city’s recent past while creating interesting communal spaces within the complex.
One Central Bedford comprises 94 apartments and town houses with a choice of one, two and three bedroom units centred around two private inner city courtyards and a laneway. The town houses have good access to daylight and views, a strategy to encourage interaction between residents and passers by. All homes are Homestar 6 certified and meet Lifemark 3 standard for safety and usability for people of all ages. A variety of homes and spaces are included, catering for a diverse mix of people and cultures in a people-focused environment with all car parking grouped on Bedford Row. This provision of car parks over to one side allowing central spaces to be dominated by pedestrians is a feature of the design response to prioritise
The industrial heritage of the site is represented in the metal and brick cladding, Dimond’s Slate coloured, Corrugate ZinaCore .55 pays homage to the area’s past pre-earthquake the street façade of the apartment buildings clad in corrugate with a concrete base. The same Dimond profile, Corrugate ZinaCore .55 was chosen for the roofing aspects of the development, all metal aspects of the project undertaken by Wayman Roofing Services Ltd.
The apartments consist of innovative pre-cast walls and shear plates grouped around three building cores. The size of the various buildings was carefully considered – much emphasis given to the complex of residential units creating a new community within the city.
The taller apartments provide a buffer and protect the wider precinct from the traffic and the prevailing, colder north-east winds. These factors influenced the design and layout of the development with all apartments having west-facing living and outdoor spaces.
Architectural and structural design teams at Architectus worked collaboratively to accommodate the structural requirements within the building organization and a regular façade design to maximise the value of this system.
This precinct of mixed residential accommodation may re-shape how many in Christchurch feel about inner-city living in positive ways – such developments contributing to the rejuvenation of the once smashed central city.
An architecture and urbanism practice, Architectus believes that architecture begins with a social agenda that nurtures and grows both communities and individuals – enhancing the areas they live and work in.
Director Principal, Carsten Auer has 20 years of experience working in Berlin, London and New Zealand, joining Architectus in 1999; he has been a Director since 2008 and from 2013 has lead the Christchurch office.