“Houses here are often built for yield and deadlines with low consideration for those that will live in them,” says scientist turned developer Kirsty Merriman. “We can do better, and the intention of this new development, The Charter: 394 East Coast Road, shows it can be done.”
Merriman, developer and founder of Kirsty Merriman, is applying both a scientific and corporate discipline to the business of building. With a Master of Science and 17 years of international corporate experience in the food industry, she has taken the corporate rigour of product development and applied it to Auckland housing.
Her latest project, three detached performance homes on East Coast Road, North Shore, challenges the narrow, lower-performance models that dominate the city’s infill market.
“I start with the question: What do people need and want, what is the price range, and how do we deliver it? It’s the same approach used in product development,” Merriman says.
“These homes are designed to serve the people who live in them, not just the sales funnel.”
Ray White Mairangi Bay real estate agent, Drew Miller, says Merriman’s development is shaping as a new category in the Auckland market: homes that combine architectural design with measurable performance outcomes.
“These are not the common terrace rows or cookie-cutter builds of recent years. Instead, they are detached, private dwellings arranged in micro-communities that balance privacy with neighbourly connection.”
Performance by design
From the earliest plans, Merriman and her team worked above New Zealand’s building code.
Integrated smart systems can deliver over $1,200 in annual energy savings through features such as Starke uPVC windows with e-glass, high-grade insulation, and pre-wiring for solar. WaterSmart systems capture and recycle up to 1,000 litres (expandable if needed) and can reduce water use by as much as 50 per cent.
Accessibility is built in, not bolted on. The development will hold Lifemark 5-Star certification, with wider entries, level thresholds, and layouts designed to adapt to changing needs; from accommodating wheelchairs to fitting a stairlift in future.
A different way to build
The project also rethinks the construction model because Merriman manages each trade directly, removing the head contractor layer.
“I know who is building every part of these homes,” she says. “If something isn’t done right, it’s fixed. That’s my name on the home.”
This approach, she says, isn’t about cutting corners; it’s about controlling quality and avoiding the cost creep of multiple subcontracting layers. Durable cladding, thermally treated timber, and quality flashings are used to extend building life and reduce maintenance.
Three takeaways for future-ready housing
- Design for design, not minimum code: Exceeding compliance pays back through lower running costs, extended lifespan, and better resilience to weather.
- Build for community scale: Smaller clusters, such as this four-home development, can create genuine neighbour connections while maintaining privacy.
- Challenge the cost–quality trade-off: Direct engagement with suppliers and trades allows higher-quality builds without inflating prices through unnecessary margins.
Looking ahead
Merriman sees the stigma around ‘townhouses’ as understandable. “People think of narrow boxes with no privacy. But as Auckland grows, we need homes that meet the objectives of the Unitary Plan without compromising how people live.”
Miller says the North Shore project offers no garages but tandem car parks, small easy-care gardens with native planting, and elevated decks.
“The intention is lock-and-leave living for families, downsizers, and those wanting low-maintenance, future-proofed homes.”
In a market where many builds prioritise speed over suitability, Merriman believes the sector must recalibrate. “Developers need to step-back rethink the default. People live in these homes; they should work for the people inside them, not just the market cycle.”
