Vantage

Overview

Offering sweeping water views of the harbour and Mt Maunganui, Vantage is a premium mixed-use development positioned on the fringe of Tauranga’s CBD, at 359 Cameron Rd.

A collaboration between Black & Orange Property, Edwards White Architects, and BCD Group, the luxurious mixed-use development features four levels of high-end apartments with five luxury penthouses, ground floor commercial tenancies, a café, and two levels of basement car parking.

About the project

The Vantage vision was to strengthen Tauranga’s inner-city through mixed-use intensification. Considering the current housing shortage and Tauranga’s population boom, Vantage was an opportunity to be part of the solution, creating somewhere people could live, work and play “bang in the heart of the city”.

Built on Cameron Road, a main road in central Tauranga, this was a complicated structure on an extremely tight site. There was a high level of complexity and coordination to enable contractors to keep moving forward on the job, while managing multiple moving parts and problem solving well ahead of foreseen issues and challenges.

Although this was a tender project, Fosters' input around value engineering and buildability was instrumental during the early stages of the project; the design consultants and construction team working closely to ensure the project’s feasibility.

Despite the complex engineering and planning required, the tight and sloping site along Cameron Road had some advantages, such as accommodating rear parking and a commercial street front. The building utilised Kingspan insulated wall panels and aluminium joinery, and the sweeping views of the harbour and Mt Maunganui were maximised.

Thanks to a cohesive partnership, the Vantage building was delivered within budget - a result of careful planning, expert advice, and effective communication between the parties involved.

Winner of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards 2023 and SILVER at the 2024 Commercial Project Awards.

2023

10,111m²

$26.5m

Client testimonial

Black & Orange Development Manager Daniel Kirk said his company recruited Fosters to oversee construction because it had worked with them on a number of previous projects.

“We like the fact that Fosters are a local company, we can talk to senior management easily, as and when required, and we know they look after their sub-contractors,” he said.

“We had a lot of confidence they’d deliver what we needed within the required timeframe, stick to the budget and deliver a high quality product.”

In light of New Zealand’s current housing shortage and Tauranga’s recent population boom, Vantage was an opportunity to be part of the solution, creating somewhere people could live, work and play “bang in the heart of the city”.

It came with “a heap of challenges” such as managing high-volume traffic, noise and dust impacts on surrounding homes and businesses, but Fosters impressed from the word go.

“Right at the front end, when we were negotiating the contract and trying to hit the budget we needed to, Fosters were easy to work with,” Daniel said.

“And the way they managed the project on site was excellent. They were great, right down to dealing with neighbours and council, always keeping us informed of any potential issues.”

Despite two full Covid lockdowns, supply issues and cost increases, Vantage was delivered on budget.

“That’s no small feat,” Daniel said. “On the whole, Fosters’ management of the project has been a whole lot better than what we could have hoped for.”