An exquisite Remuera home, a beautiful home renovation in Wellington and the Deloitte Centre in Auckland have taken out the Supreme Awards in the Registered Master Builders 2010 House of the Year and RMB Commercial Project Awards, in association with PlaceMakers.
The national winners in the country’s premier building competition were announced at a black tie gala dinner at the Langham Hotel in Auckland. This is the 20th year of the competition.
Seven hundred builders and industry leaders celebrated the best of New Zealand’s new homes, renovations, sustainable homes and commercial projects.
House of the Year
The hotly contested title of the PlaceMakers Supreme Award for the House of the Year went to Lindesay Construction Ltd, for its stunning home in Remuera, Auckland, which also won New Homes over $2 million, and the Pink® Batts® Ultra® Energy Efficiency Award.
The brief for the single level stunner, constructed from around 15 different species of chemical-free timber, was to create a home that would complement the unique site and stand the test of time.
In a year of exceptional craft and workmanship, this property simply blew the judges away.
“This build is craftsmanship on a huge scale, with superb detailing and quality rarely seen and experienced,” residential judging panel chairman Graham Anderson said.
“With attention to detail in every area of the home, on such a large scale, this new home was quite simply faultless, and the deserving winner of the 2010 House of the Year title.”
Renovation of the Year
Pearson Group Ltd’s century-old cottage in Kelburn, Wellington, greatly impressed the competition’s judges, winning the PlaceMakers Supreme Award for the Renovation of the Year and the Renovation under $250,000 category.
The judges said this delightful, architecturally-designed Gray Young cottage of the early 1900s was executed to perfection.
“Renovation is all about seamless integration. This renovation was faultless — you could not tell what had been altered from the timber boards to the windows — and it was 100 years old,” they said.
“The original character has been retained and enhanced to meet the owner’s needs, including the retention of a fireplace discovered during demolition.”
“Nothing could have been improved upon — a stunning renovation.”
Commercial Project of the Year
Brookfield Multiplex Constructions (NZ) Ltd took out the RMB Commercial Project of the Year, as well as winning the Retail and Business Project for its development of the landmark Deloitte Centre in Queen Street, in Auckland’s central business district.
Panel chairman Graham Coe said the thing that stood this project apart from others was “the clever retention of the old facade structure — the character of the bygone deco era — and integrating this with a new building”.
“It is a truly seamless integration between old and new. This is a magnificent and well-executed high-rise building,” he said.
“The accuracy of the build of a modern complex commercial building, including the innovative integration of the existing facade and existing structure and character, makes this a very deserving winner of the 2010 Commercial Project of the Year.”
RMBF chief executive Warwick Quinn says the competition continues to set the standard for residential and commercial building in New Zealand.
“The 2010 finalists have certainly shown the industry the high standard you can expect from a Master Builder,” Mr Quinn says.
“The high number of entries in this year’s competition shows that our builders still see the unique and valuable advantage this competition gives them through belonging to Registered Master Builders.”
John Beveridge, chief executive of principal sponsor PlaceMakers, congratulated all the National Gold Reserve and category winners.
“All the finalists are clearly deserving of the accolades they have received, but their real value will be reaped by the generations of home owners who will enjoy them in the years to come.”
“PlaceMakers is proud to be associated with these awards for the past 20 years, and we congratulate the three Supreme winners on their fantastic achievements.”
The finalists — all National Gold Reserve winners — were selected from 530 entries in 19 regional competitions held throughout New Zealand during the months of June, July and August.
The Registered Master Builders House of the Year and RMB Commercial Project Awards are made possible through the support of principal sponsor PlaceMakers, and supporting sponsors James Hardie, Gib Living®, Pink® Batts® Ultra® (Tasman Insulation), Nulook, the Department of Building and Housing, and Meridian, with event sponsor BRANZ GROUP.
