The thirty-seven-metre tall brick building on the corner of Pollen Street and Williamson Avenue is set to become a landmark on Ponsonby’s skyline and has become a rather personal project for Ockham’s CEO and co-founder Mark Todd, who is reported to be moving into the penthouse upon completion.

“People are proud of landmark buildings in their cities – the collective effects they have on atmosphere, energy and identity,” says Todd. “Our ambition is to build one of Auckland’s most beloved buildings.”

“Getting the right bricks for this project was an arduous undertaking,” explains Todd. “I’ve got brick samples from nine different countries, numbering in the hundreds. It took three and a half years to get the final sample from the right manufacturer approved.” The bricks are manufactured in a town 40 minutes north of Venice. To explain the mileage on the bricks, Todd points out: “We did our best to get them manufactured locally but, in Europe, there are hundreds of years of tradition manufacturing bricks.”

At just over NZD$10 per brick, the signature Sant’Anselmo green façade is accented with powder-coated brass balustrades, rails and panelling, the exterior illustrating an opulence in materiality that continues into the interior of the building.

Apartment floors will be covered with an engineered oak arranged in a 45-degree chevron pattern, with a solution-dyed nylon carpet in bedrooms. Walls will be painted with a Resene Half Black White paint finish. In the kitchen, black slate or engineered stone bench tops with walnut cabinetry fitted with LED strip task lighting and aged brass tapware will be used to add warmth. In bathrooms, a dark palette continues with slate flooring and wall tiles (a light-coloured option available), basalt circular basins, aged brass tapware/railing, walnut cabinetry, and a continuation of the green theme with Fired Earth green tiled walls in showers.

Large elliptical-arch entranceways at street level are a take on the arches seen in the surrounding Victorian-era villas and the large glass panels in a deco-esque chevron pattern are said to reference bird feathers; a nod to Aotearoa’s native birdlife.

Speaking on the interior materials choices, Ockham’s lead residential architect Tania Wong comments “the materials chosen are deeply inspired by nature,” with biophilic design principles referencing the black sand beaches, native bush areas and volcanic history of the Tāmaki Makaurau region; west coast beaches and the Waitakere ranges being key sources of inspiration.

Wong worked with local hand-blown glassware manufacturer Monmouth Glass for lighting in some of the apartments and a Tom Dixon pendant will be the centrepiece of the lobby, lighting the brass mesh in the ceiling.

Todd says in a promotional video for the building that it’s a once-in-a-career project for Ockham. “My hope for the future is that it will be noted as a building of real merit, ingenuity and creativity. I want it to be well-liked by any citizen that’s got an interest in urbanism or architecture. It’s thirty-seven metres at its highest point so it’ll be the tallest building in Ponsonby for a generation — or three — so that in itself is going to redefine the centre and heart of Ponsonby.”

Construction of the 101-apartment, nine-storey project is expected to be completed in mid-late 2023.

To find out more about The Greenhouse development go to Ockham’s website or view their promotional video here.