Summer Gardens in Takapuna is a great example of how to combine style and sustainability in a top-flight, modern building. At all stages of the process, Xinyue Development has highlighted that the high-end finish of the building is complemented by serious environmental features.

The development will have 30 apartments, each aiming for a *6 Homestar rating. Inside, each apartment features operable sunscreens, water-efficient showers and tapware, LED lighting and low-emission, environmentally-friendly materials throughout. An Apricus solar hot water system will supply the vast majority of the building’s water heating, reducing natural gas use, associated environmental emissions and running costs by 70%.

Apricus has worked closely with the architects Construkt, to design a solar system that delivers plenty of energy whilst not detracting from the visual appeal of the building. The roof-mounted system is set back from the facade and only covers a quarter of the total roof area. The Apricus solar hot water system contributes crucial points to the *6 Homestar rating, highlighting the importance and ease of integrating sustainable hot water solutions in a multi-residential development.

Commercial specialists at Apricus have provided Construkt and Xinyue Development with a complete solution at every stage of the process: solar modelling, cost-benefit analysis, project-specific mounting system with PS1 and detailed technical answers to council RFIs.

The cladding of the building is a striking design feature: the mass of the building is broken up on the eastern facade, with a full height 4.5m wide curtain wall exposing the building’s vertical circulation core. Both eastern and western facades utilise a clever combination of continuous operable metal screens, colour and texture to visually break up the building bulk. The screens, apart from creating visual interest, perform multiple practical roles; solar screening, privacy control, providing dimension and enhancing the neighbourhood’s visual amenity.