Life on the park
Classical style paired with the comfort and warmth of the modern home was the philosophy behind Grigori Koulanov of Profico Group’s vision for these luxury townhouses, situated in an idyllic location on the edges of Hagley Park.
With the site facing Deans Avenue, on the fringes of iconic Hagley Park, Grigori Koulanov knew, as he embarked on his ambitious development, that the homes he built would need to be something special. Drawing inspiration from the English roots of Christchurch architecture and hinting at Regency proportion and scale, his vision is now coming to life as a luxurious and elegant addition to the city’s changing landscape.
Firmly believing that the site called for classical design, Grigori engaged Christchurch architecture firm, Bespoke Architecture, to collaborate with George Saumarez Smith from UK based architecture firm, Adam Architecture, specialists in classical and traditional design, to create concept drawings for a development comprising a mix of two- and three-bedroom townhouses, plus a row of luxurious four bedroom, three-storey villas. Common landscaped areas and a shared health spa and gym are standout features of what is designed to be a peaceful inner-city community. Jared Lane of AP Design subsequently completed architectural drawings, and Nigel Gilkison, formerly of Adam Architecture, came out to New Zealand to join the project as a urban designer.
Vincent Sanders, Director at Bespoke Architecture, says, “Grigori’s vision to develop Hagley Mews is remarkably refreshing. We’ve torn down so much of the old fabric of the city, and now we have quality homes that reflect that lost heritage, nestling into the edge of the park. It’s truly special and was an exciting challenge for us”.
While still under construction, a growing number of buyers have taken the opportunity to secure their slice of this outstanding city development. Grigori says those looking to take advantage of everything Hagley Mews has to offer are a mix of young professionals, families, and retirees seeking the convenience of the location, with its proximity to the city and excellent schools. The four-bedroom villas, in particular, are generously proportioned with a three-metre ceiling height in the living areas, creating a stately residence feel, alongside the security and community of townhouse living. Plus, there is the welcome addition of an elevator in each villa, future-proofing for those wanting a forever home.
Profico Group selected Strongline Projects as design and project managers, and worked with them to ensure the consents process was efficient in terms of time and cost, “Buildability must be considered in the design from the outset”, says Andrew Burt, Strongline’s managing director. Strongline paid particular attention to Profico’s desire for residents to enjoy superior warmth and comfort as well as protection from noise, given the urban location. “These are high-quality homes that will be enjoyed for generations,” says Andrew. As the main contractor, Andrew, along with Grigori, assembled a team of trusted expert tradespeople and consultants to deliver the vision for Hagley Mews.
Stunningly displayed in the show home townhouse, all the elements of the tasteful, elegant interiors were carefully selected by Fiona Renton of Sandalwood Design, in keeping with the developer’s insistence on high-quality materials. All of the homes feature Italian tiles, oak flooring, Miele appliances, and granite kitchen benchtops. Designer Fiona says, “I was very careful with my choice of products for this project as it deserved a look of style and class. I used top quality materials to set the homes apart. In particular, the bespoke 100 per cent wool carpet is divine and gives a real sense of luxury.”
Attention to the finer details sets the property apart from anything else in the market and Grigori says “We sourced quality fittings from the solid core detailed internal doors with Italian hardware and invisible hinges, to the European Grohe tapware.” On the walls, a superior finish was required to match the calibre of home, the team from Elite Interior Plastering completed the stopping and fixing to an exceptionally high standard. Bringing a wealth of experience and quality craftsmanship to the project, Elite specialise in highly-specified architectural homes.
Each of the homes features beautiful, generously proportioned, tiled family and ensuite bathrooms, and stunning designer kitchens, fitted with Miele appliances and Grohe tapware. The thoughtfully planned layouts and selection of products are the work of award-winning kitchen designer, Vicki Andrews of Vicki Andrews Design with cabinetry by Sydenham Joinery. She used Dezignatek thermoformed doors and drawer fronts to complement the traditional architecture and added strategic task and ambient lighting. Vicki brings many years of experience to the project and says, “Careful planning of layouts and great design makes for workable, stunning kitchens and bathrooms.”
High-quality Italian designer tiles add luxury and elegance to the bathrooms in each of the townhouses. The tiles were selected by DesignaStyle in consultation with Fiona of Sandalwood Design, and Grigori, and imported from some of the most elite tile manufacturers in Italy. Frankie Mulholland of DesignaStyle says, “We’re very excited to have the opportunity to work on this project.” DesignaStyle has earned a well-deserved reputation for quality workmanship. To ensure projects are executed professionally, the team scopes the work and plans diligently to deliver the highest quality finish every time.
The extensive plumbing throughout the complex is the work of H2Flow Plumbing and Heating. H2Flow owners Matt Benzie and Jonathan Toulson have a passion for what they do and a combined experience of over 40 years plumbing in the Christchurch construction industry, ensuring the quality of workmanship on every job they do. “Nothing was a problem on this project. With continuous communication with project and site managers, any issues were resolved with great outcomes enabling us to complete the project to a very high standard. This project was very well run as we have found with all Strongline projects.” The extensive drainage infrastructure in the complex was supplied and expertly installed by registered drainlayers, K & T Drainage, who specialise in residential and commercial projects and were proud to be involved with the Hagley Mews development alongside Strongline.
To ensure that residents of the townhouses enjoy year-round comfort, Grigori and Profico Group prioritised effective heating and insulation to cater to all conditions. For maximum warmth and comfort, each townhouse features bespoke design pure wool carpet, underfloor heating in tiled areas and a layer of insulation between the concrete slab and the floor coverings. All homes are fully insulated with wool batts and temperature is controlled by heat pump air conditioning teamed with a heat transfer ventilation system from Roza Services, which draws fresh air in from the outside. The triple-glazed European-style tilt and turn windows offer insulation, ventilation, and protection from noise.
The exterior terraced design emulates the look and feel of an English street frontage, and the finish was successfully achieved by Superbuild cladding specialists who were engaged to complete the cladding, plaster, and paint as well as the distinctive architectural mouldings, supplied by Acumen Shapes of Auckland. Superbuild panel and paint systems provide excellent thermal, fire, sound and impact resistant qualities as well as being sustainable, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly. Frank from Superbuild says, “Adding architectural mouldings gives the development a unique look which makes it stand out. It’s a real showcase for Christchurch.”
In keeping with the traditional design, the roofing is European style tray roof in optimised ZinaCore Heritage, expertly installed by CS Roofing Canterbury without a trace of any fixings, giving a superb finish. The popular material was selected for its outstanding visual appeal and integrity. Lindsay McLeod from CS Roofing Canterbury says, “The project manager set challenging timelines and standards which we were able to meet due to the professionalism and experience that stems from 50 years in the roofing industry.”
Intending to create a peaceful oasis within the development, Grigori entrusted Kim Odering of KO & Co to develop planting plans for Hagley Mews. Kim had worked on Grigori’s own family home and was excited to be a part of creating gardens that mirrored the look of townhouses with complementary traditional planting. Kim, whose experience with planting comes from a family of four generations of plant experts and years in the industry, says the project was a pleasure to work on, “The crew were all so easy to deal with, I worked with them to find solutions, making sure it didn’t cost any more than it should.” Rather than planting all of the outdoor areas for each of the units, Grigori and Kim decided to complete the hard landscaping with hardwood decks and outdoor living areas but to leave the planting decisions to the new residents to reflect their preferences.
As the scaffolding comes down at the Deans Villas, it becomes more and more possible to see what a graceful addition Hagley Mews is to the historic Deans Avenue location. Grigori is realising his dream of creating truly beautiful homes that offer an outstanding standard of living and comfort. For Grigori, his wish is to see the new owners move in and love the environment, enjoy the gym and spa, and feel secure and comfortable in quality homes that will endure. Each of the experienced contractors who are involved has approached their work with the same passion, making Hagley Mews a project they can all be proud of.
Words Anna Scaife Photography Sarah Rowlands
Involved in this project
DEVELOPER
Profico Group
hagleymews.nz
BUILDER
Strongline Projects Ltd
021 244 7024
stronglineprojects.co.nz
ARCHITECTURE
Bespoke Architecture Ltd
0800 237 765
bespoke-architecture.co.nz
ADAM Architecture Ltd
adamarchitecture.com
AP Design
apdesign.co.nz
URBAN DESIGN
Nigel Gilkison
universalform.co.nz
INTERIOR DESIGN
Sandalwood Design
027 555 3632
sandalwooddesign.co.nz
KITCHEN DESIGNER
Vicki Andrews Design
027 222 9596
vadesign.co.nz
PLASTERCRETE CLADDING
Superbuild Ltd
027 930 9640
superbuild.co.nz
TILE SUPPLY & INSTALLATION
DesignaStyle
03 348 1099
designastyle.co.nz
PLUMBING
H2Flow Plumbing and Heating
03 341 2001
h2flowplumbing.co.nz
GIB LINING AND STOPPING
Elite Interior Plastering Ltd
021 203 2081
ROOFING
CS Roofing Canterbury Ltd
03 338 0400
csroofingcanterbury.co.nz
LANDSCAPING
KO & Co Ltd
03 339 4971
koandco.co.nz
DRAINAGE
K & T Drainage
03 342 3561
ENGINEERING
Powell Fenwick
pfc.co.nz
MECHANICAL
Roza Services
rozaservice.co.nz
