Developer: Foundation Village Partnership
Architect: Peddlethorp
Contractor: Kalmar Construction
Location: Parnell, Auckland
Service Type: Facade Engineering

The Foundation, a new premium retirement village development, is a partnership between Blind Low Vision NZ (Formerly the Blind Foundation) and village operator and developer - Generus Living Group. Situated in the Foundation's historic precinct in Parnell, the village offers a premium location and offering while supporting the charity's long-term financial sustainability. The village will combine superb design style with high end retirement apartments, upscale amenity and boutique care. The vision for the village is to create a world class haven for retirement to enjoy the twilight years with security, vitality and engagement. Building 1 is located on the north-eastern portion of the precinct with frontage to Parnell and Maunsell Roads. The first building comprises commercial office space on the ground floor with luxury residences on the upper levels. A traditional design approach to the Village has been taken, including significant use of stone facades to complement the existing adjacent heritage buildings. Building 1 has been designed to respect and accommodate a very large and prominent Pōhutukawa tree located to the front of the site that will be retained as a feature of the development. The street front boundaries of the site will be landscaped with the building set back from both street frontages.

DESIGN ENGINEERS played a pivotal role in orchestrating the meticulous delivery of the facade engineering PS1 package for our client LANCOM COMMERCIAL. This multifaceted undertaking encompassed a comprehensive wind loading assessment for the facade, delving into the intricacies of selecting an optimal window system capable of withstanding both wind loading and seismic forces. DESIGN ENGINEERS meticulously engaged in the structural design of the windows and glazing, ensuring its resilience, and conducted thorough verification of the associated brackets and fixings to guarantee structural integrity. Furthermore, the scope extended to the nuanced design of louvres and their brackets, a process that demanded precision and a keen understanding of aesthetic and functional considerations. DESIGN ENGINEERS also undertook the critical responsibility of meticulously reviewing shop drawings, emphasizing attention to detail to ensure that every element of the facade engineering PS1 package adhered to the highest standards of quality and compliance. In essence, our involvement represented a synthesis of technical expertise, structural acumen, and meticulous scrutiny, contributing significantly to the overall success and reliability of the facade engineering for the Foundation Building one.