Metlifecare Gulf Rise Villas
Metlifecare Gulf Rise Villas
Project
Accommodation / Residential
Location
89 Symes Drive, Red Beach
Client
Metlifecare
Value
$10.8 Million
Period
11 Months
Consultants
Architects /
Warren & Mahoney
Structural /
MSC Consultants Group
These 35 high-quality, two-bedroom villas represent the first stage of a new master planned Metlifecare retirement village at Red Beach, on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast. Described by Metlifecare as a “step up” and “a new approach to retirement living”, the Gulf Rise development will eschew the traditional gated community approach in favour of a far more connected, people-friendly design, with an emphasis on large open spaces and the provision of plenty of event and meeting places.
Constructed by Haydn & Rollett between August 2018 and the following May in an $11 million, three-staged programme, the villas are largely uniform in design and layout, with some variation in the arrangement of access doors. External walls are a combination of pale face brick and dark aluminum cladding, roofs are metal, and each villa has single-car garaging. Inside, the units are carpeted
throughout, other than in the bathroom, entry and around the kitchen. The open plan lounge is distinguished by a high ceiling that follows the pitch of the roof, and the finishing’s are all of high quality. The lush landscaping around the villas was handled separately by a local contractor.
The site, which was formerly the Peninsula golf club, provided few difficulties, although some timing challenges arose as a result of the client’s separate arrangements with subcontractors. Faced with a delay to being able to line and finish the first lot of eight villas, the Haydn & Rollett team carried on with the next stages, expediting the final stage to ensure continuity of the subcontractors working on the project.
Apart from that, the project was largely straightforward. And, thanks to efficient onsite management, the team finished the job six weeks ahead of programme.