Matiatia land development

A vision for Matiatia - the design search

General information | Finalist's detailed designs | Assessment panel's comments on designs

Matiatia Bay - photo courtesy of photographer Janet Hunt

General information

Matiatia, Waiheke Island, New Zealand is an important strategic asset that needs to be developed in a way that is inspirational and extraordinary.

The landscape of the 4.25 hectare Matiatia Valley serves as the gateway to Waiheke Island and should be home to a world-class sustainable development.

In a bid to see such a development on site, Auckland City launched an international search for ideas to develop Matiatia. Cash prizes were offered for finalists and the designer of the final concept chosen by the council will have the opportunity to help develop their design on the site.

To guide designers, the council engaged a working party to develop a design brief for the site. The working party was made up of

• architects
• designers
• property developers
• councillors and
• community representatives.

The brief, 'A vision for Matiatia', incorporated both

• the design principles established by the Waiheke community and
• the elements Auckland City wants to see included in any development.

'A Vision for Matiatia' was a two stage process. The first stage was open to any interested party and 75 designs were submitted. These entries went on public display and about 400 visitors completed a feedback form. An assessment panel (made up of built environment professionals and community representatives) selected five finalists from these 75 and further refined the design brief taking into account the public feedback. These finalists then submitted more detailed designs for stage two, which were also displayed for public feedback. The assessment panel then met again to select a preferred concept .

Design 201 was recommended by the assessors to the committee as the preferred concept.

This concept will be further developed by a working party, in association with the preferred design team and passed to the council's Property Enteprise Board for implementation.

Background

Auckland City Council acquired all of the shares in Waitemata Infrastructure Limited (WIL) in 2005. This means the council now owns the area of land at Waiheke Island adjacent to the Matiatia ferry terminal known as the "harbourmaster site".

The $12.5 million acquisition will enable the council to oversee a mixed-use development that will reflect the character of the island in design and scale and provide a significant gateway.

Auckland City intends to retain ownership of the land and negotiate the long-term lease of some of it to a developer for a return of about $7.5 million to offset the purchase price.

For a local view on the design process for Matiatia, visit www.capow.info.

When Waitemata Infrastructure Limited owned the land it proposed building a $35 million township at Matiatia. This plan was opposed by over 1000 locals as being out of character with the area. Following public consultation, the council purchased the land by acquiring all of the assets of WIL on 31 August 2005.