26 Racecourse Parade, Avondale, Auckland, 1026, New Zealand
Designed by Ockham Residential’s in-house lead architect Tania Wong, the Set buildings were inspired by the idea of a ‘set’, one of the most fundamental concepts in mathematics. Sets are the natural outcome of our collective desire to distill the essence of nature. What do things have in common? How do they relate to each other? How do we measure and order the world? The Venn diagram, commonly used to denote the intersection of two or more sets, is used in the detailing of the Set buildings.
The Set buildings have also been influenced by the local built environment. Some of Avondale’s earliest industries include Pollen’s Brickyard, the Jockey Club and Avondale Racecourse. The character of the nearby horse stables has been echoed in the built form of the Set buildings with the use of timber and brick in the façade. The pitch of the rooflines also gives a subtle nod to one of Avondale’s oldest buildings, St Ninian’s Church which opened in 1860.
Set is divided into three buildings, subset A, B and C. The separation between each of the buildings frames the beautiful views through the development towards the Waitakere Ranges.
In keeping with Ockham Residential’s cornerstone philosophies, we have chosen materials that are durable, low maintenance and distinctly residential. The residents’ lounge, located on the ground floor of subset C, faces west towards the racecourse and provides a sun-drenched patio, shared vegetable garden and fruit trees for all residents to enjoy.
