The Foundation Parnell is an Auckland-based luxury retirement village owned and operated by Generus Livings consisting of 46 apartments across 5 levels. The Foundation is about retirement without compromise with luxury at the core of design and operations. Everything from its prime central location to the way a kitchen drawer opens and closes is about quality, refinement, attention to detail and most importantly – comfort.
Throughout the design process, architects Peddlethorp were dedicated to considering quality and aesthetics in every detail, with accessibility always at the forefront of design to ensure comfort and ease of movement for future residents. As an NZ manufacturer, Allproof Industries were engaged to manufacture and supply a range of solutions including shower channels, level threshold channels at the entrances and passive fire protection solutions.
Allproof supplied around 100 NZ-made Vision shower channels with tile insert grate, all fabricated to measure enabling a perfect wall-to-wall finish at roughly 1600mm lengths. During this process, Allproof provided a high level of site support to ensure that the channels were measured, supplied and installed to the highest finish without disrupting a tight schedule. Channels were fabricated in batches at the production facility on the North Shore of Auckland as trades progressed through the levels reducing any delays and supplying product to the site as its needed.
Designing, detailing and constructing tiled showers / wet areas to suit an off-the-shelf channel size is nearly impossible. Minor variations in measurements occur during the construction process and outlets might not always be perfectly located in the centre due to other building elements. Additionally, the designer would have to detail the exact finished dimension of the room at the detailing stage including wall build-up of linings, membrane, tiles and adhesives. Therefore, to create a perfect wall-to-wall channel Allproof made all 100 shower channels to measure each shower space.
Allproof’s Tile Insert grate for the Vision shower channel was selected providing a discreet drainage solution and maintaining the aesthetic of the bathroom while utilising the slip-resistant properties of the floor tiles on the drainage system. The channel was positioned across the entry to the shower preventing surface water from escaping the shower area and entering the main bathroom space, also removing requirements for a hob or any level change in the floor for accessibility.
Considering the building occupants, a high-performing passive fire solution was needed allowing the residents time to evacuate the building if required. The floor slabs on each level were poured on site to improve the construction process, as a post-tension slab there was a preference not to core drill as this could risk compromising the tensioned strands in the slab. Allproof’s Cast-in fire collar (CIFC) was selected providing a fully tested solution with a high-performing FRL. Cast-in fire collars are plotted out and fixed to the formwork pre-pour thus casting the collars into the slab. Following the pour the formwork is removed exposing the collar and providing a penetration to run services through. CIFC’s are NZ-made from 100% recycled polypropylene using clean solar energy providing an environmentally conscious passive fire system.
The Allproof Perimeter channel drain was selected for the main entrance enabling a level entry for accessibility to the building and preventing external moisture from entering the internal space. The Perimeter Drain is a full E2 and D1 complaint system available off the shelf and reduces installation costs by removing the need to box out channels and install fixing points. By selecting the Wedge Wire grate the designers benefited from the R11 slip rating and the durability of 316 stainless steel.
