Litchfield Towers

Originally built as a retirement village in 1963, the low rise Litchfield Tower has long been home to residents seeking to enjoy their twilight years in an excellent location with views over the Waitemata.  First refurbished in 2002 to create 48 apartments, the facade was in need of updating to maintain the building’s relevance to today's expectations of what retirement living looks like.

The architect's design uses a Metwood powder coat on the newly added louvres to establish a warmer, more welcoming aesthetic that grounds the building in the surrounding nature.  They contrast and soften the white building facade, making the white elements clean and spacious but never sparse and overpowering. On the south elevation, their lines cleverly follow the adjacent stairwell, where the colours connect the floors to one another.

Finally, perforated panels featuring a bespoke ‘leaf and branch’ pattern are used to further root (pun intended) the design to the immediate environment.

The southern elevations feature 4 rows of Solaris 100 louvres underneath the glazing, between each building column used to separate the apartments.  The configuration is intentionally more open with clear space between the rows, standing in contrast to more closely spaced Caldera 88 louvres used for aesthetic purposes and as a rainscreen on the Northern & Eastern elevations. All are finished in the same Metwood powdercoat finish, delivering the look of wood but with the durability of aluminium.  

The ‘leaf and branch’ pattern is made from 4mm thick powdercoated perforated aluminium.  Used sparingly on the North elevations of the East and West wings, it clads the columns between the apartments, where it works to maintain the clear horizontal lines of each floor, while also adding that standout feature to clearly distinguish Litchfield Towers as different and unique.

The refurbished Litchfield Towers is a place where older occupants can enjoy a new lease of life.  The facade is peaceful but also playful, relaxing but energising.  It is, which is undoubtedly the intent, a place where retirees feel at home, and feel proud of that home.

We’re certainly quite proud of the part we’ve played in all that. 

Client  The Selwyn Foundation  Architect  Archimedia Architects

Contractor  Expedite Projects    Location  Auckland