Apartment mix and designing for families Print

Design Outcome

Apartment buildings represent an increasing  portion of Auckland's residential stock, therefore their capacity to support the needs of a diverse society is becoming more important.

Design Checklist

  1. Apartment buildings provide a diversity of apartment types and sizes that cater for different household requirements 
  2. Ensure that apartment developments cater for families and other large household groups. Provide good levels of amenity both inside and outside for larger groups and children
  3. Provide a mix of housing tenure including affordable housing.  
  4. The ground floor apartments in a development maximise the opportunity to provide for a range of lifestyle options, particularly families with children and people with limited mobility


New and varied apartment types contribute to greater stability in the long run as they balance the supply of homes for larger and smaller families and are designed to meet occupants' changing needs.

A mix of apartment types, sizes and tenures within a development provides greater housing choice for a more diverse range of households. A mix of types also contributes to community safety, with the potential for more apartments to be occupied throughout the day.

Apartments are becoming an increasingly viable form of housing for larger groups of people, including families, largely because of their relative affordability.  Families, in particular those with young children, pose the biggest design challenge.

Designing for families is a key part of ensuring that apartments are seen as a long term home ownership solution, and not just for rental or shorter term accommodation.

Where apartment developments are located close to schools it is even more important to ensure that the development provides some larger apartments and outdoor areas that are suitable for children to play.

Design Guide

Provide more than one apartment type in all developments of ten or more units.

Ensure the design of the apartments is ‘tenure blind’ (i.e. affordable and private stock are indistinguishable in design terms), and avoid large areas of the same tenure.

This includes designing for both rental and owner occupied accommodation.

Refine the appropriate apartment mix for a location by considering population trends as well as current market demands, and note the apartment’s location in relation to public transport, public facilities, employment areas, schools, universities and retail centres.

Locate a mix of apartments on the ground level where units are more accessible for the disabled, the elderly and families with children.

Develop flexible apartment configurations that will support a variety of household changes and alternative uses in the future. Ensure larger apartments (three or more bedrooms) are provided, particularly on the ground floor.

Better Design Practice

Rules of Thumb

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