Wallaceville Estate
Listening to the Land
Whakarongo ki te whenua. When the land speaks, we listen.
And for Envelope listening to the land, and working with it, is key.
When it came to looking at a parcel of land previously used as an agricultural research facility, Envelope were listening. By working sympathetically with the land, they were able to respect its former life, but give it a new one as a residential and commercial development.
The Challenge
Project Lead Matt Aitchison says the site, located just north of Trentham Racecourse in Upper Hutt, had its challenges with the previous use needing to be considered, the existing buildings demolished, and multiple parties to consider in decision-making.
‘The site, located just north of Trentham Racecourse in Upper Hutt, had its challenges with the previous use needing to be considered, the existing buildings demolished, and multiple parties to consider in decision-making.’
Envelope carried out the civil engineering design and surveying resolving the site’s infrastructure constraints along with project management, construction observation, and completion reporting allowing the 63ha former agricultural site to be redeveloped in stages.
Design works included earthworks, roading, wastewater, stormwater, power layouts, as well as the overall master planning of the site. The result is Wallaceville Estate, a savvy mixture of traditional residential and medium density terraced housing.
The Wallaceville Animal Research Centre was established in 1905. By the 1970s it housed a team of up to 200 people carrying out world leading agricultural research. One significant way to pay tribute to this former life was to name streets in the new development after notable researchers at the centre, including Cyril Hopkirk, John Gilruth and Dr Malcolm Buddle.
Also, the layout of roads used at Wallaceville has been designed to match the pattern of pathways used when it was a research centre in a nod to its former life.
The original development was to be 800 lots, but with surging demand, it increased to 1100 lots, completed in stages. Envelope worked alongside developers Gillies Group, showing the adaptability required when project demands changed. Key to this was the passion and foresight of developer Malcolm Gillies, who realised early on that Upper Hutt was accessible, desirable and progressive.
Envelope also relished the challenges involved on site, developing a ‘water sensitive design’ including total hydraulic neutrality and water quality devices which minimises the development’s stormwater footprint.
Wallaceville Developments is a five-year project. And with a number of voices to consider, a lot of land development is about keeping up communication. There are a lot of different moving parts and moving wheels to consider.
