The Auckland Unitary Plan is a comprehensive and city-wide rulebook that guides how land can be used and developed in the Auckland region.
The Plan essentially sets the blueprint for the city’s growth and development over the coming years. The plan covers a wide range of topics, including where different types of buildings can be located, what activities can take place in specific areas, and the rules for preserving the environment and heritage. It’s a crucial document for city planning, ensuring that Auckland develops in a coordinated and sustainable way while considering the needs and interests of its residents.
You can read a summary of the report on the Auckland City Council website, or alternatively for the full legislative breakdown, click here.
Explore our curated image gallery featuring a collection of thoughtfully designed gentle density homes, each uniquely crafted with 5 units, or more. Whether you’re an architect, urban planner, or simply passionate about progressive housing solutions, these 5-unit gentle density homes are sure to inspire and captivate.
Explore our curated image gallery featuring a collection of thoughtfully designed gentle density homes, each uniquely crafted with two units. Whether you’re an architect, urban planner, or simply passionate about progressive housing solutions, these 2-unit gentle density homes are sure to inspire and captivate.
Explore our curated image gallery featuring a collection of thoughtfully designed gentle density homes, each uniquely crafted with three units. Whether you’re an architect, urban planner, or simply passionate about progressive housing solutions, these 3-unit gentle density homes are sure to inspire and captivate.
Explore our curated image gallery featuring a collection of thoughtfully designed gentle density homes, each uniquely crafted with four units. Whether you’re an architect, urban planner, or simply passionate about progressive housing solutions, these 4-unit gentle density homes are sure to inspire and captivate.
These designs are for illustrative purposes only, and not intended for construction.
This forward-thinking design seamlessly incorporates a total of 8 units, offering a mix of unit types to suit various needs, including two spacious family-sized units with 3 bedrooms each. Each unit features its own individual entrance door, ensuring privacy and convenience for residents. Alternatively, the design can accommodate a total of 6 units, including four with 2 bedrooms each, providing flexibility in configuration.
Despite its multi-unit layout, the design maintains the feel of a small apartment building within the scale of a large single-family home, blending functionality with aesthetic appeal. In total, the design offers 14 bedrooms, catering to diverse household sizes. The proposed floor space ratios (FSR) are 1.10 on a 50×110’ lot and 0.91 on a 60×110’ lot, showcasing efficient land usage while maximizing livable space.
Drawing and Images
“Tweedsmuir” on 60′ front-access lot“Tweedsmuir” on 60′ front-access lot“Tweedsmuir” on 50′ front-access lot“Tweedsmuir” on 50′ front-access lot
These designs are for illustrative purposes only, and not intended for construction.
This cutting-edge design can incorporate a total of six units on a lot just 33’ wide, using an innovative shared, “point-access-block” stair.
“Comox” also maximizes its small lot through the use of a zero-lot-line on one side. The design could be used to ease the transition within a block from a commercial zone to residential, or the design could be mirrored on a second lot to create a rooftop patio space between the two structures.
This rooftop space would be in addition to one courtyard already on the ground level and another on the third storey, which give the design its abundant light and air access in spite of its density: a FSR of 0.73 on the 50×131’ lot shown, or 1.10 on the 33×131’ lot. “Comox” has 9 bedrooms and utilizes sprinklering.
Drawing and Images
“Comox” on 50′ rear-access lot“Comox” on 50′ rear-access lot“Comox” on 33′ rear-access lot“Comox” on 33′ rear-access lot
These designs are for illustrative purposes only, and not intended for construction.
This ambitious design stands out in its library, boasting a total of 13 units spread across two structures on an urban-sized lot. Despite its size, the design maintains the scale and aesthetic harmony of a residential neighborhood. It shines particularly bright as dedicated rental accommodation, catering to the needs of urban dwellers.
Noteworthy features include a common bike storage room and a spacious rooftop deck in the rear structure, providing residents with additional amenities and leisure spaces. The central courtyard serves as a community hub, offering a private space for residents to gather and relax, complete with envisioned picnic furniture for added comfort. The design employs a cutting-edge “point-access block” solution, with 6 units accessed via a single stairwell, meeting the requirements set forth in the Vancouver Building By-law.
Enhanced safety measures such as sprinklering, fire alarm systems, and smoke evacuation systems in the stairwell ensure residents’ safety and well-being. In total, the design accommodates 18 bedrooms, accommodating a range of household sizes. The proposed floor space ratios (FSR) are 1.42 on a 50×130’ lot and 1.18 on a 60×130’ lot, demonstrating efficient land usage while maximizing livable space and community amenities.
Drawing and Images
Mount Pleasant sample home design, on a 50′ rear/lane access lot.Mount-Pleasant-on-60-corner-lot
These designs are for illustrative purposes only, and not intended for construction.
This proposed home design ingeniously conceals five two-bedroom units and three lock-off suites within a house-like structure by strategically positioning the top storey beneath the roof and sinking the bottom storey a few steps down. Additionally, it incorporates versatile space for mixed-use, offering potential for commercial use to maximize the corner lot location, or alternatively, these spaces could be leased or sold separately as studios or offices, or shared as amenities for residents.
The ground-level studio units are depicted as lock-off suites, though they could also be fully separated if desired. Moreover, the design showcases sprinklered features to allow for greater window area along the side facing the neighbor, enhancing both aesthetics and functionality. With parking situated off the side street, this design is adaptable for corner or rear-access lots.
In terms of capacity, it boasts a total of 13 bedrooms. The proposed floor space ratio (FSR) is 1.35 on a 50×140’ lot and 1.12 on a 60×140’ lot, including garage space where applicable.
Drawing and Images
EPSON MFP image“Schoolhouse” on 50′ corner lot“Schoolhouse” on 60′ corner lot“Schoolhouse” on 60′ corner lot
These designs are for illustrative purposes only, and not intended for construction.
“Koo’s” is based on an iconic Vancouver project that paved the way for gentle density infill housing over twenty years ago.
By dividing the original form into six townhouse-style units with different heights and treatments, “Koo’s” feels urban while remaining comfortable in a single-detached neighbourhood.
Making the most of a corner lot, it manages to incorporate space for five garage stalls as well as providing a beautiful private rear courtyard, plus a deck for each unit. The design could be mirrored on two sites to create a spacious central yard, or garages could be replaced with small lock-off suites for nearly double the unit density.
“Koo’s” has a total of 9 bedrooms with an FSR of 0.81 on the 60×140’ lot shown, and 0.94 on the 50×140’ lot. Its glazing is shown as sprinklered.
Drawing and Images
“Koos” on 60′ front access lot “Koos” on 60′ front access lot“Koos” on 60′ front access lot
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