Whitford Yards

Re-interpreting the settlement forms of New Zealand’s rural history, this unique village creates a modern and sustainable rural idyll for more than 100 dwellings. 

Whitford Yard is a residential development in the lifestyle and rural community of Whitford, south of Auckland. The development comprises a mix of private villas, duplexes, and apartments set in a rural landscape. The master plan of the scheme was developed in collaboration with Dennis Scott and Associates, with the layout of built form and greenspace enabling fully integrated water conservation and treatment strategies. 

The proposal involved a design strategy based around medium density ‘groupings’ of development, interspersed with individual residences in open space. Such groupings reference vernacular rural New Zealand development – which often consists of functional combinations of outbuildings variable in scale organised around and spatially defining, a central service area or yard.