Parnell - City converts

A couple have loved downsizing from a large house out of Auckland to an apartment in one of the city's best complexes.

Apartment 402, Trinity, 429 Parnell Road, Parnell.

Gillian and Martin Davis had achieved what many city-dwellers dream of: a big house on the outskirts of Auckland, with a lifestyle to go with it.

The house was at Gulf Harbour, close to the fishing and golf they enjoyed when they weren't working.

But they did still work, every day, in the CBD. Martin found himself spending up to three hours a day in his car. They decided to try something completely different, and bought an apartment in town. The complex they chose is one of Auckland's newest and best.

Trinity, opposite the Trinity Cathedral at the top of Parnell Road, opened in August last year and set a benchmark for apartment developments in the inner city.

It was developed by McConnell Property, whose general manager Martin Udale was on the Mayoral Taskforce on Urban Design. He commissioned award-winning architect Patrick Clifford of Architectus and interior designer Peter Bromhead to create a complex that is artistic, practical and sensitive not only to its inhabitants but also to its neighbours.

Gillian and Martin bought their two-bedroom apartment off the plans about two years ago, and moved in as soon as it was completed last August. This apartment, one of 28 in the complex, is on the fourth of six levels and faces northwest.

The bedrooms and living area all enjoy a sweeping view from the museum, across the trees edging the Domain, to the city. There are no large buildings close by, so the sky is huge.

``It's really pretty at night,'' says Gillian. ``And seeing the green of the Domain is lovely. We were surprised how many walking tracks there are through there, and of course we can walk to it from here.''
The bedrooms and living area all have sliding doors that access a deep terrace that runs the length of the apartment.

Roofed, with stone panels at each end to provide privacy and a sense of enclosure, and with full height wooden shutters that can be closed against wind or sun, this is an outdoor room. It even has built-in heaters for cooler evenings.

Cast your eyes down from the view, and you see a heated lap pool, large reflecting pool and a generous grassed area. Together they provide a gracious outdoor space rare among apartment blocks, and also an outlook for neighbouring residents.

Similarly, at the front of the building stands a 4.5m interactive light sculpture called Opticks by Peter Stoneham, commissioned by McConnell Property to further enhance the building for its own and local residents.

Gillian and Martin have reveled in being able to walk to restaurants in Newmarket and Parnell, or hop on a bus to go down to the Viaduct.

``We're now the proud owners of a Vespa,'' laughs Martin. ``We've become such cafe lizards that we just zap around on that and park on the footpath outside whichever one we like the look of.''

When the couple decided they'd like to upsize to a bigger apartment, they couldn't think where else they'd rather be than Trinity, so are simply moving upstairs.

``We like how it's so quiet here,'' says Martin. ``It's been so well built that you don't hear anyone else, and you can be completely private if you want to be.''

As for getting to work and back, Martin's got it down to about five minutes.

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 2

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGES: 2

SIZE: 110sq m.

PRICE: $860,000.

INSPECT: By appointment.

ON THE WEB: www.barfoot.co.nz # 349614

CONTACT: Jill Jackson, Barfoot & Thompson, ph 021 745 424.

FEATURES: Northwest-facing apartment on fourth floor with wide views of museum, domain and city. Deep, sheltered terrace provides an outdoor room. Complex has heated lap pool, reflecting pond and grassed area. Walking distance to Parnell, the Domain and Newmarket.