This is everything going to the Master Plan

The six big reasons why we Masterplan our communities

There are numerous key benefits to purchase within one of our  master planned communities and why this make our neighbourhoods so special.

We’ve distilled these down to the big six.

1. It’s all about scale.

We look for development sites which have enough scale to create a neighbourhood identity, with enough public space, roads and reserves for residents to meet and make new friendships. Typically, it takes 100 to 200 homes to create this critical scale. Some recent examples in Auckland include Stonefields, Totara Heights, Kowhai Ridge, Waiata Shores and Three Kings. And in Canterbury, One Central, Matai Springs and Greenstead.

2. Life's a Stage

Building in stages is not just about project management or capacity – it’s about evolution.

Our largest developments comprise of several hundred homes, typically surrounded by established neighbourhoods, and are planned out over stages. This allows the housing types to evolve and diversify over time to meet the needs of the community and market demands. We can revisit the masterplan with each new stage and “fine tune” it to ensure we are building the type of homes wanted by new customers. Waiata Shores, Red Beach, Stonefields and Three Kings are our flagship examples of this.

3. Amenities are important.

It’s what makes a community great. So we look for locations where we can connect to nearby amenities such as schools, shops, parks and public transport. Sometimes we masterplan brand new greenfield areas where no amenities exist. When this happens, we try to be the first developer in an area so we can set the tone of the future development and ensure linkages to future planned amenities such as new schools and shops. Park Green is a good example.

 4. All the right connections.

When we design the connection system for a new development, we look to maximise connections both within the development and outside to the existing neighbourhood and amenities. We design our circulation layouts – the roads and paths, but it’s not just about  cars. We consider future transport systems, easy connections to public transport and safe cycling and walking paths. These routes are celebrated and clearly marked with signage pointing to walking, jogging and exercise circuits. The design of the roading also considers the passage of the sun, as we want our future homes to have the best solar access for light and warmth.  This means designing roads to run north-south, so our sections face north or west and avoid chillier south-facing gardens.

5. There’s more to green spaces.

We’re proud of our green spaces. They not only set us apart, but they also provide important meeting and recreation facilities for our residents. Pocket parks, and playgrounds are always popular spots, especially when there’s a café nearby like at Whenuapai.  But our green spaces and stormwater management areas are more than just recreation and attractive landscaping – they keep our homes free from flood risks. For example, Waiata Shores has over 10 hectares of stormwater reserve which provides flood storage as well as a cycling and jogging route along the adjacent stream and foreshore. Stonefields, with its large permanent pond and edged by former quarry cliffs has also been designed with large capacity stormwater systems to mitigate flood risks and performed admirably in the recent storms.

 6. Variety is the spice of living.

Compared to many developers, Fletcher Living has significantly more variety in the types of homes we offer within a development. We identify and plan our housing mix at the outset and believe more choice brings more diversity to our developments. By offering homes from 1-bedroom apartments through to 5-bedroom stand-alone homes and everything in between, we can cater to a broader spectrum of homeowners helping to create a more vibrant community.