Service areas Print


Desi​gn Checklist

  1. Service areas are well located in relation to street access and scheme design
  2. The service areas are well designed and located for ease of use, encourage waste minimisation and facilitate composting

​​​​​​​‘Service area' refers to an area that is external to the apartment building and used for the storage and collection of waste and recycling from individual apartments.

A service area is different from a service court, which is a private or communal outdoor area used for garden sheds, clothes lines etc.​​​​​​​​​

Often the service area is a concealed space in the basement designated for waste or recycling. Where this isn’t possible, designing for at-grade storage and collection of waste is important. Such design contributes to the visual appearance and overall amenity of a development.

Recycling is becoming increasingly important and therefore designing-in flexibility and space for increasing levels of recycling is a good idea. 

Better Design Practice

Locate storage areas for rubbish bins away from the front of the development where they can have a significant negative impact on the streetscape, the visual presentation of the building entry and on the amenity of residents, building users and the general public.

Bins should be located in places that are convenient for residents, but far enough away from accessways and open space so that they are not a nuisance. Consider placing rubbish near to the path most residents will walk during the day, or:
  • ​In the car park near to the stairs or lift.
  • Near the main route to the building’s front entry or letter boxes.​
  • Dispersed in different screened areas through the development. 

​An important part of the design process is to identify the best form of rubbish collection as early as possible. 

You can also use Auckland Council's Solid Waste Calculator ​to determine space requirements for storing waste for your project. 

Different rubbish systems have different design solutions. 

Having rubbish collection that is twice as frequent will require half as much storage for bins. 

Careful use of planting or screens can help to shield and blend shared storage areas into the overall development.  

Provide facilities on site for green and compostable waste, glass, plastic and paper. On-site composting can be provided in self-contained composting units on balconies or as part of the shared site facilities. 

Provide every dwelling with a waste cupboard or temporary storage area to hold a single day’s waste and to enable source separation.

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