To the lake house
Papamoa’s Pacific Lakes Village opens its celebrated Lake House
Words Monique Balvert-O’Connor / Photos Jahl Marshall
Some may ponder whether it’s possible, but life has just got even better at Pacific Lakes Village.
The already widely admired lifestyle village, located on the coastal stretch between Mt Maunganui and Papamoa, has recently celebrated the opening of its Lake House.
Pacific Lakes Village Manager Mark Vincent says the Lake House – so named as it is beautifully positioned over one of the village lakes – will cater for a wide range of resident activities.
Architecturally designed, the Lake House offers a fabulous community hub for events, activities and socialising and incorporates sweeping decks and a barbecue area over the lake. It is home to the Little Green café, which has been welcomed with great excitement by residents, Mark says. Adding to the socialisation options, and positioned alongside, is a full-size, green-weave bowling green.
“Our intention has always been to offer our residents a unique, modern, and engaging community with resort-styled living in a place that is both tranquil and energising. The Lake House is a big part of that picture. We’re delighted and encouraged by the positive feedback we are receiving from everyone who is so proud to call this village home, and from those hoping to make it home,” Mark says.
Also impressing people is the fact the Lake House is totally in-line with the village’s overall sustainability ethos – it operates off-the-grid, with solar power and a rainwater recycling system. The Green café alone can boast many sustainable aspects too.
Mark says the completion of the Lake House demonstrates the direction and quality of Pacific Lakes Village and has been a big milestone for the village.
“We have more than 180 residents and with the Lake House comes a gathering point and the opportunity to establish a real sense of community. That’s extra important to us as our model is firmly rooted in hospitality – somewhere you’d be happy to visit and invite friends to visit.”
The need for such a gathering place will only increase as the village grows. By the end of the year, 160 homes will be constructed. When completed, the village will comprise 250 homes set amongst tranquil park-like grounds and private lakes. The next stage of villas and terrace houses are selling now.
While the Lake House (which opened in mid-May) is already garnering many ticks of approval, it is actually a precursor to a planned, larger pavilion. With an estimated cost of more than $30 million, it will be one of the largest and most comprehensive community facilities in any NZ lifestyle village.
Pacific Lakes Village Director Graham Wilkinson says the rapidly burgeoning Bay of Plenty population will be watching this village with interest, especially those seeking a more upscale living and caring environment than previously offered in the area.
The village is part of the Generus Living Group, which has an unrivaled reputation for creating some of New Zealand’s most respected lifestyle villages. That respect includes an appreciation that Generus Living strives to make a difference in providing upscale sustainable living environments.
Sustainability abounds
Pacific Lakes Village is steeped in sustainable and eco-friendly ways of living, and its residents are loving this.
A recent resident survey illustrated that a sustainable lifestyle is either important or very important to 94.43 percent of village residents and more than half of the respondents said the approach to sustainability contributed to their decision to purchase at the village.
Examples of this sustainable approach are many and include:
Plans for Pacific Lakes Village with a glasshouse, a climate-controlled growing house, and a variety of fruit trees
Each residence has its own raised garden beds for vegetable growth
The village is creating its own ecosystem via a series of waterways, fed from rainwater and natural aquifers that will support the regeneration of plant and birdlife
The Lake House is first of its kind - almost everything about the building celebrates sustainability. Aligned with sustainable building design, it is off the grid with solar power and a rainwater recycling system. Building materials have been carefully considered and, whenever possible, environmentally preferable solutions have been selected
The Little Green Café products have been mindfully selected. For example, the menu features coffee sourced from ethical, sustainable and socially responsible traders; and an organic soda range from a NZ company on a mission to find ingredients good for the land, and good for the people who grow and consume them
The Little Green Café also minimises its waste, which is destined for the village’s worm farms or green waste composting facilities. Ecoware take-away cups are made from plants, although residents are encouraged to bring their own Keep Cups
Pacific Lakes Village has received a remarkable gold status on Tauranga City Council’s Resource Wise Business Programme, thanks to diverting more than 98 percent of operational waste from landfill
Chemical use is minimised in landscaping, solar energy is utilised, LED lighting is favoured, there are EV charging stations, and water is conserved through the utilisation of smart technology.
In short – a sustainable lens is adopted to all aspects of the business.
Benefiting the community
When completed, Pacific Lakes Village will have involved an investment of almost $300 million, says Director Graham Wilkinson. The bulk of that has gone to local suppliers and contractors – plus, the village provides employment on an ongoing basis.
“Generus Living’s business model has always been to work with the community and part of that involves supporting local and incorporates our sustainability programme. We’re also proud to announce the recent introduction of an Ebba Te Tua scholarship with a focus on furthering Māori education.”
The scholarship has been introduced in association with Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks Incorporated (MPBI) – Generus Living’s development partner. Generus Living and MPBI have worked together as joint venture partners for almost a decade in developing first Pacific Coast Village and now Pacific Lakes Village. This unique partnership is a marriage of experience and capital with land and tradition and is committed to continuing to collaborate and create value with and for the community it serves.