Omarino

MASTERPLANNING

• PROJECT

  Omarino

• CLIENT

  Private

• LOCATION

  Bay of Islands, Northland

• STATUS

  Completed

For many years we have been involved in the development of a beautiful headland in the Bay of Islands, converting it from a barely viable farm to a series of discrete sites on revegetated shared land.

We analysed the land into a series of site types, such as bay, hillside and ridge. We then prepared Design Guidelines for each type, which were further modified as they were applied to each of the twenty-one individual house sites. These guidelines were more demanding than those set by the local authorities, but they were more relevant to the land in question.

As well as the overall planning, we converted the existing Woolshed and Shearers Quarters to become luxury lodge accommodation and shared facilities for the site, designed the new Managers House, Boatsheds and Implement areas. We also designed the entry and a series of marker walls at significant nodes around the site. For these we developed a unique concrete from local materials christened Bentzen Concrete (after the previous owners) as a way of identifying the special qualities of the locale.

In a short number of years the regrowth of native plantings on the land is developing quickly, as can be seen from the images of the original farmland and the revegetation on the slopes. Bossley Architects continues to be involved in the ongoing construction of buildings, for the overall development and for individual houses on the privately owned sites. Fold House, Parekura Bay House, Omarino Lodge and Omarino Caretakers Residence .