The Bedford development is part of the Southern-most precinct of the One Central master plan. The master plan vision was to create a diverse and dynamic precinct that appealed in particular to younger professionals and families.
Important contextual relationships and references, both past and present, include the new Innovation Precinct directly to the south as well as the warehouse buildings housing the former entertainment district of Sol Square and the ‘industrial’ heritage of the wider site. Predominant use of metal and brick cladding respond to some of these precedents.
The residential precinct consists of 94, one-, two- and three-bedroom units centered around two private inner-city courtyards and a laneway. These provide a pedestrian and people-focused amenity and look to support a strong sense of community. As part of creating this urban, people-focused environment all carparking is grouped on Bedford Row, creating greater connectivity and passive observation of all public spaces, promoting social encounters between residents in a safe environment.
The Bedford Apartments provide an important buffer and protect the wider Precinct from the environmental impact of traffic and the prevailing colder North East winds. These factors also directly influenced the design and layout of the building, with all apartments having west facing living and outdoor spaces.
Materiality is drawn from the site’s industrial heritage and the notion of a robust protective outer edge. The street facades are clad in metal and brick with a concrete base. These materials are all robust, readily available, and easily replaced in the event of damage. The apartment building utilises innovative precast walls and shear plates grouped around three building cores.
Architectural and structural design teams worked collaboratively to accommodate the structural requirements within the building organisation and a regular façade design in order to maximise the value of this system. By efficiently and economically bringing these elements together the project is able to deliver affordable living to inner Christchurch city, assisting with the regeneration of the city.
All homes are Homestar 6 certified and meet Lifemark 3 standard for safety and usability for people of all ages.
