‘Once in a lifetime’ project wins Retail Award

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An extremely ambitious design has resulted in a win for WG de Gruchy Construction at the 2017 New Zealand Commercial Project Awards.

Their Waiheke Island project, Tantalus Winery, Brewery & Restaurant, won a Gold Award and also took out the Retail Award category.

Willie de Gruchy says winning the award for the large-scale project was an exciting moment for all the team involved.

“It was a pretty special project, so we were confident it would do well, but it was a really great surprise to come away with the win,” he says.

Mr de Gruchy describes the winery as a “once in a lifetime project,” and says the bespoke, customised nature of all the features made the build stand out from the competition.

“Every detail was handcrafted. We had some really clever craftsmen, tradesmen and architects on the job, and it was the collaboration of this strong team that definitely showed through in the finished product,” he says.

“The whole build took about 20 months to complete. It was a really big scale project for us — we specialise in high-end residential construction, so this was a great project to work on.”

Mr de Gruchy explains that while the unique, handcrafted details of the design were what made it so special, they also created challenges for the team.

“Everything was sourced from all over the world and across New Zealand. We used stone from Europe, along with local stone, recycled kauri and recycled brick from the Hawke’s Bay,” he says.

“We had to source all these different materials and transport them over to Waiheke Island. Getting them over to the Island definitely added another dimension to the entire building process and planning logistics.”

The judges were impressed by the extensive detailing of the project and the high level of quality in the execution.

“Set in the rolling vineyards of Waiheke Island, this extremely ambitious design emphasised one-off, hand-made details.

“This project brought together a high-end residential builder with a total commitment to quality, an adequate budget and sufficient time to deliver a truly spectacular result.”

Mr de Gruchy says winning the award is great recognition for the hard work of all the team involved.

“It was our first entry into the Commercial Project Awards, so to come away with the win was really exciting for the team,” he says.

“It reinforces that the work we produce is to the highest standard, which is what we have always strived to do.”

The New Zealand Commercial Project Awards are owned by the Registered Master Builders Association, and sponsored by PlaceMakers, Altus, GIB, Allied Concrete and Construction Marketing Services.

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