The clients are both self-employed and wanted to bring their bicycle shop and graphic design studio, together with a house for them to live in, to the centre of Te Papa-i-Oea Palmerston North. The Strip Mall name takes a pot-shot at the common development form in New Zealand cities whilst describing the formal proposition of bands running through the site. This will continue down the site in the second stage, which will house a further mix of residential and commercial space in the rear half of the property. The bands of building allow for daylit floor plates with northern aspect and natural ventilation while forming outdoor living adjacent to the house and shops. Courtyards give glimpses into the life of the building to passers-by. This project is intended to bring some of the amenity of mixed use, typically found in larger cities, into Palmerston North. The shopfronts activate the townscape — the location means the building needs to be adaptable and the design takes this into account by providing open-plan spaces that can be inhabited variously.

Jury Citation:

Craig Moller, Beth Cameron, Nicola Herbst and Ilana Freadman

“This project brings mixed-use amenities, common in larger cities, to provincial New Zealand. Located on a corner site, the ground-floor tenancies feature wraparound shopfronts and awnings that activate both streets. A planted courtyard enhances the street, serving as a forecourt and backdrop for the firstfloor apartment and providing outdoor space for the tenancies. Robust construction is balanced by innovative use of materials and colour. The apartment’s simple layout is designed to allow for future adaptive re-use. This ambitious mixed-use project serves as a model for future developments, aligning with the owner-occupiers’ intentions for a second-stage development.”

Project team:

Tim Gittos, Flynn Lewer, Caro Robertson

spacecraftarchitects.co.nz

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