Solid peace and privacy

129 Taylors Road, Mount Albert. Photo/Supplied

129 TAYLORS RD, MT ALBERT

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ON OFFER: Being sold off the plans, initial release of four freehold architect-designed townhouses in a development of six. Each has about 300sq m of land and a three-storey, approximately 211sq m layout with three bedrooms plus study or four bedrooms. Includes master suite, two bathrooms plus powder room and double garage.

SIZE: 300sqm.

PRICE INDICATION: From $1.45 million.

INSPECT: Construction about to start; displays available in the Bayleys Ponsonby and Mt Albert offices.

ON THE WEB: bayleys.co.nz/1670248 or taylorslane.co.nz

SCHOOL ZONES: Mount Albert Primary, Kowhai Intermediate, Mount Albert Grammar.

CONTACT: Peter Tanner, Bayleys, 021 379 379, 09 375 7486.

Tucked away down a long driveway in suburban Mt Albert a brick house and a ridge of volcanic rock have for decades anchored a pocket of development potential. They have been the distinctive features rising from a 1760sq m site that will house Taylors Lane; a boutique development of six architect-designed freehold townhouses. Stage One is selling off the plans, being four of the six three- to four-bedroom homes, expected to be completed in March 2016.

Architect Peter Townsend of Townsend Architects says: "It's a quiet residential road and a leafy suburban context. These townhouses are designed so they can be family homes because of their adjacency to St Lukes and local schools."

They'll be at the western end of Taylors Rd, which runs either side of St Lukes Rd, a block south from Mt Albert War Memorial Reserve and Rocket Park. The walk to Mount Albert Grammar is about five minutes and to Mount Albert Primary around 10 minutes.

One townhouse has already sold with strong interest in others. They are three-level duplex format; stand-alone on one side and sharing a sound-proofed party wall on the other. There's no body corporate as they'll be freehold, each with approximately 300sq m of land.

Peter says: "The starting point was the site itself and how do we actually position the houses on to that rock. It's actually worked out extremely well; we've filled in a dip, then stepped the houses up on top of the rock, which we're taking the top off from a certain point. Underneath the back of the houses is solid rock.

"People will go to the site when the homes are completed and they won't have any awareness that there is volcanic rock sitting underneath them.

"I think the plan works particularly well and that has been reflected in the comments and interest in the development."

Image 1 of 4: Split-level living and a design pedigree give these freehold townhouses a real edge

Much of the townhouse exteriors will be timber, as the two upper levels will be predominantly Shadowclad. Bays of timber battens on compressed sheet will help break up the scale of the wood and the ground level will be concrete.

"That will have an 'off the board' finish so you'll see the timber imprint of the boards which made up the boxing on the concrete."

The ground floor incorporates internal-access double garages, the laundry/utility room and the heat pump unit.

Examples of interior detailing include exposing some textured concrete around the stairs and using match lining on a wall and the ceiling above the first floor dining area.

"We've tried hard to be that little bit different," says Peter, "to provide something more interesting than a sea of Gib board."

Engineered timber floors continue throughout the dining area and the designer kitchen with engineered stone benches. The carpeted lounge can be shut off using big sliding doors if desired.

Peter feels open-plan-only layouts can offer insufficient acoustic separation. "In those situations if the kids are going ballistic at dinner time then no one can do anything else."

The living floor has a 2.7m stud and flows to a private courtyard with outdoor living. In the first four townhouses the courtyards face west.

"The upper floor covers over a big portion of the outdoor living so you can still use it if it's raining."

This level's powder room accompanies a fourth bedroom that could alternate as a second living area-media room-study. Upstairs is a master suite with en suite and dressing room, a bathroom with separate shower and free-standing bath, and two more bedrooms.