Location: Queenstown, New Zealand

The popularity of outdoor activities, both summer and winter, possible on New Zealand's south island have become world famous.  Queenstown is the jumping-off point for all those who flock to the area to partake in these activities.  Because of the topography, developable land is scarce, and as Queenstown grows, so too has the pressure on the city's housing affordability and capacity to absorb necessary commercial and business development to service the growing tourist employment industry.

Five Mile lies on the Frankton Flats, which is the largest developable flat site that affords excellent sun exposure, within proximity to Queenstown.  Adjacent to the regions main airport and highway, the 30 hectare site offers the opportunity to relieve the pressure on downtown Queenstown through the development of a high density, mixed use, town centre serving the regions business, employment, and housing needs.  Property Ventures Limited hired the firm in 2004 to design such a community and to ensure that it would respect the surrounding natural setting as well as the regions architectural heritage.  View corridors into and out of the neighbourhood were established to ensure that, even in the centre of the project, residents and visitors would constantly be visually connected to the natural environment surrounding the valley.

The master plan envisions a town centre of over 5,000 residents and 500,000m² of commercial and industrial development.  Included in the mix would also be a campus for an international university and a regional tour bus station.

A department store, grocery store, cinema, and hotel would serve to anchor the Main Street and town centre.  The entire site has been designed as mixed use, using building types new to the New Zealand market.  These include courtyard mixed use buildings and live-work homes, both of which offer ground floor retail and business opportunities with residential above.  The master plan provides for the extensive parking necessary, due to the regional draw of the project, to be in underground parking garages throughout the site, with convenient but well-integrated access by both car and pedestrian from the street network above.

click here for project booklet