Raising the roof: The Feynman's fabulous communal spaces

Thoughtful — and considerable — community spaces are an Ockham hallmark.

The views will be glorious. Head to the residents’ rooftop lounge before breakfast — you may get away with a dressing gown — and sip on a coffee as the sun sneaks up, brushing T.maki Makaurau with tender, early-morning light. Below you, the day gathers pace; you can see the good people of Ponsonby pitching up to cafés, the Grey Lynn folk — lycra.cladded, cross-fitted, power-dog-walking — in the park below. You contemplate joining them but decide instead to take a dawn dip in the pool, followed by a spot of yoga on the deck. This is the life. This is The Feynman.

Superb community spaces are an Ockham signature move. The Isaac in Surrey Crescent includes three residents’ lounges with great outdoor decks, each with panoramic views. The Turing just up the road enjoys even more sumptuous views from its shared quarters, along with a lounge and separate billiards room. Other Ockham buildings come with swimming pools, landscaped gardens, residents’ libraries, bookable guest rooms and work-from-home offices. But The Feynman, Ockham’s new development along the Great North Road ridgeline, boasts the company’s most impressive community facilities to date.

Prioritising the commons
“As we’ve gotten more experienced at Ockham, we’ve learnt a lot about building apartment buildings,” Ockham captain Mark Todd says. “You really need to embed the commons in the building so the community has got a space that is of value, that is its heart. We’ve dedicated the rooftop, which is the very best space, as common space. It’s a very natural thing to do.”
With sweeping views across the city toward the Waitemat. harbour, the rooftop is definitely a space where people will want to congregate. And so it has been kitted it out with two separate residents’ lounges, each complete with kitchens, bar spaces and casual seating.

“I really wanted the rooftop space to capture the feeling of a luxury hotel,” says architectural designer Hannah Chiaroni-Clarke. “These spaces can accommodate several small groups or one really large group. There are lots of interesting pockets and places to mingle.”

There’s also a 6 x 3.6m heated outdoor plunge pool, which has a shallow kids’ pool in a tier alongside. The pools are set amongst a whopping 478m2 of outdoor decks and gardens. It’s a vast space, almost two tennis courts in size — ideal for a sunbathe, a sundowner, or, for the yogis, a sun salute.

An extremely cool (heated) pool
“The rooftop heated pool is probably the coolest in the city,” Hannah adds. “And having a shallower pool is great for kids or grandkids. There are so many different uses for the event space as well. You could book it out for a private personal training session, a yoga class or even a movie night.”

For added interest, there are two pergolas entwined with climbing plants, which add visual intrigue and shade; while a third, with louvre technology, opens and closes according to weather, whims and the overall vibe.
The community facilities aren’t confined to the rooftop though. There’s a work-from-home office, ideal for conducting meetings, and two bookable guest rooms on the ground floor for VIP guests.

“Having those guest rooms available means that even if you don’t have a spare room, there’s always somewhere for friends and family to stay,” Hannah continues.

“What I really love about this development is there is something for everyone, and whether you buy a studio or penthouse you will have access to what I believe are the best apartment communal areas in the country.”

Like to know more about The Feynman? Our fiercely objective website www.ockham.co.nz has heaps of info, and our Joss Lewis – 021 245 5155 / joss@ockham.co.nz – will talk fixtures, fittings and floorplans for days!

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