Atelier Kingsland freehold terrace townhouses and apartments. Photos/Supplied
Atelier Kingsland freehold terrace townhouses and apartments. Photos/Supplied
THE LOFTS, 12 CENTRAL RD, KINGSLAND
1-3
1
1-2
ON OFFER: A: 1 bed, 1 bath, 55sq m, with 40sq m courtyard; $585,000 (body corp $1650 a year).
B: 2 bed, 2 bath, 91sq m; $859,000 (body corp $2490 a year).
C: 3 bed, 2 bath, 124sq m; $1.28 million (body corp $3833 a year).
INSPECT:
Sat/Sun 11.30am-1.30pm (display suite).
CONTACT:
Carl Watkins, 021 424 736, or Jamie McLaughlan 021 398 351, or Nigel King 021 055 2355.
A generation ago, the city fringe suburb of Kingsland was not exactly a sought-after area to live. Considered slightly down-at-heel, it was the type of place most people didn't pay much attention to as they drove through it into the city from the western suburbs.
Times have certainly changed.
Today, most property there is snapped up pretty quickly.
It's not just Kingsland's handy location close to town that draws in buyers, but also its character, and the vibrant local restaurant, bar and cafe scene.
The company behind a new development, Atelier Kingsland, wanted to pay tribute to the area's history as a working-class neighbourhood when it decided to build there.
Instead of bowling a former embroidery factory it bought on the corner of Central Road and Second Avenue, the developer decided to use it in the new complex.
"We are recycling," says Craig Watkins, director of Key2Metro, which is marketing Atelier Kingsland.
"We have incorporated the building into the design, and the name Atelier was chosen because it's French for workshop."
There are three distinct spaces in the boutique development, which has been designed by the award-winning Leuschke Group.
The Works comprises three live-to-work townhouses designed so the ground floor can be used as a showroom or office. The Terraces are made up of eight contemporary townhouses, seven of which have three bedrooms, and one that has four. Both the Works and the Terraces will be constructed from scratch and the homes in them have sold already.
Image 1 of 9: An embroidery factory has been repurposed into stylish, contemporary townhouses
The third area, The Lofts, cleverly fits seven lofts and one garden apartment into the existing factory and makes the most of the edgy, industrial style of the building and the generous 5m stud.
Six of the New York-style loft apartments have two bedrooms, while one has three and the west-facing garden apartment, which opens out to a courtyard, has one bedroom.
As well as being classic examples of urban renewal and first-class architecture, the loft apartments will all be extremely practical and comfortable to live in.
"They all have heaps of space and will get lots of sun, thanks to being north-facing," says Craig.
The whole northern facade will have bifold windows that will open up to let the outdoors in and the sloping ceilings will contribute to the spacious, airy feeling of the living areas.
There will be 1-2 parking spaces per apartment in an undercover parking area, along with storage, and each apartment is a unit title.
Feedback that has come in from people who have already bought homes in Atelier Kingsland includes an appreciation of the fact that, although the development is just a couple of minutes' walk to Kingsland, it is in a residential street surrounded by lots of character homes. Unlike other developments, which use existing commercial buildings, it isn't looking into factories and warehouses next door.
Nixon Park is across the road, so there is easy access to green space.
"It's a great location because you've got the park right there, you've got all the great bars and restaurants in Kingsland at the end of road, and Kingsland train station is just a couple of minutes' walk away, so it is very easy to get into town," points out Craig.
"At the bottom of the street you've got the connection to the new cross city cycleway, and if you are a rugby fan, it is only a short walk to Eden Park."
These are all factors that are appealing to a lot of people, and Craig expects the loft apartments will sell quickly. It's expected that the development should be finished and ready to move into in about a year.
