Boffa Miskell provided urban and landscape design input to the resource consent prepared by our planners.

Prior to development, the site comprised existing industrial activity and adjoined a community destination (St Stephen's Church) and several residential sections. Redeveloping the site as a retirement village has enabled more appropriate land use adjacent to the Church and wider Tamahere. The key features have been designed to maintain and enhance the rural character and amenity.

The masterplan has a central ‘spine’ with small-scaled side streets giving access to proposed independent living houses in the south of the site and leading to the common facilities and larger scaled apartment development in the north.

The masterplan retained many existing trees within the site, including seven mature Oak trees which create a strong landscape feature to the entrance at Tamahere Drive and provide communal space within the site. These larger trees are a dominant feature and maintain the existing character of the site. Numerous other established trees are retained through the sites, typically marking site of communal gardens and open spaces. 

The site is designed to have a clear and legible structure with good on-site amenity for older residents, generous tree planting and a limited off-site presence in the landscape. No road in the village is straight, there is provision of open grassed space, particularly on the rural perimeter, generous building setbacks and open rural-style fencing.  

Providing recreation opportunities through provision of an informal walkway located around the majority of the site boundary connecting with roads and open spaces, villas and communal buildings. The walkway provides connection into St Stephens Church grounds and to the future proposed Te Awa River Ride from the main access at Tamahere Drive. The walkway provides safe and independent recreation options for residents as well as connection to adjacent public places.  

Recently constructed Tamahere Village Centre is located 400 m west of the site, which has become a focus of the community activities and events. The Village Centre includes a public ‘piazza’ or village square, commercial buildings providing for a local retail demand and recreational reserve.