VisionWest Urban Design Review

TUA provided Urban Design advice and masterplan review, with a focus on typology, tenure mix and community-centric design.

Kāinga Maha was supporting VisionWest and Glen Eden Baptist Church with the redevelopment of their campus in Glen Eden. The development draft masterplan sought to consolidate the existing activities and structures on site, add medium density housing and overall, provide a more integrated, community-focused campus for all the activities it supports.

TUA provided expert urban design advice, and integrated our advice with the other consultants involved in the review process (geotechnical, civil and planning). Following a site visit, we completed context and site analysis, reviewed the proposed design to identify opportunities to improve community outcomes, housing mix and urban design elements.

Overall the draft masterplan was a well-resolved urban design concept that was appropriate for the site and aligned with the vision, values and activities of VisionWest and Glen Eden Baptist Church on the campus site. A range of recommendations were offered to improve the balance between private domestic spaces and more ‘public’ spaces within the campus, to enhance pedestrian safety and existing natural features, and offer appropriate shared amenities for residents. Opportunities to engage further with mana whenua were identified, to consider cultural narratives and what meaningful cultural design integration could look like.

‍