Good housing changes lives. In Kaitaia, that statement carries particular weight — the Far North has long faced significant housing pressure, and projects that meaningfully expand the supply of safe, quality homes are hard-won achievements.
Arcline Architecture is proud to have delivered the design for registered CHP Switzer Home‘s 28-unit residential development: one of the largest community housing projects to reach construction in the region in recent years.
A Complex Brief, Simply Solved
The development comprises three separate building blocks situated on a single site. Two blocks are two-storey to maximise the number of homes achievable on the land. The third block sits at a lower profile, responding to the immediate residential context and providing variety across the development. Together, they deliver 28 units — a mix of configurations designed to meet the real and varied needs of Switzer Home’s residents.
From an architecture and planning perspective, the challenge was considerable: achieving this density on a constrained site while maintaining outlook, privacy, and amenity for every unit — and doing so within the practical and budgetary realities that community housing always demands. The result is a development that is coherent, functional, and genuinely liveable.
Built by FNR Group
Construction is being carried out by FNR Group, whose experience with multi-unit residential in Northland made them a natural fit for a project of this scale and complexity. Working through the practical challenges of a large site — sequencing multiple blocks, managing services, and maintaining quality across a high unit count — FNR delivered a build that reflects the care the project deserved.
The approach to assembly was equally considered: ground floor units were constructed conventionally on the concrete slab, while the upper floor units were built as complete modules separately on site, then craned into position on top of the lower level. It’s a method that requires precise coordination and confident construction sequencing.
Partnership with FNHL
The involvement of Far North Holdings Limited (FNHL) reflects the broader collaborative intent behind the project. FNHL’s role in supporting community outcomes across Te Hiku o Te Ika is well established, and their participation here is part of a wider commitment to ensuring that quality housing is not only designed and built, but made accessible to those who need it most in the Far North.
Why this project matters
At Arcline, we do a significant amount of our work with Community Housing Providers and Developers. We understand the background context of projects — the communities, the housing pressures, the aspirations of iwi and organisations working to improve outcomes for people in the regions.
Projects like this one are why we do what we do. Twenty-eight families or individuals in Kaitaia will have a secure, well-designed home because of the work that went into this development. That’s the measure that matters.
We’re grateful to CHP Switzer Home for the trust they placed in us, to FNR Group for the quality of the build, and to all partners whose support made this development possible.