Owner and director John Hymers was in awe when DR Borman Ltd was awarded Platinum.
“The awards build up slowly over a period of time, so you don’t realise your achievements until someone points it out,” Mr Hymers says.
“Each award is always very special and you always remember them, but you don’t collect them up in your own mind. Then you think back and remember, ‘Oh yeah, we did win those’. It’s great,” Mr Hymers says.
Mr Hymers is most proud of the home which won the 2009 Meridian Sustainable Homes $500,000 – $1million category for a sustainable home in Mount Holdsworth, Carterton. The home also picked up the Pink® Batts® Ultra® Energy Efficiency Award.
The sustainability aspect of the home is what Mr Hymers believes makes it such a special home.
“It’s really the direction I want to push the company. I believe sustainability is the future of building,” he says.
“People are a lot more conscious of not being so wasteful and being conservative with the environment. Sustainability will have a strong impact when people come to sell their homes.
“People are getting a little bit sick of the throwaway society, and are becoming more sympathetic to the way they leave their footprint on the landscape.”
The home in Mt Holdsworth is completely self-reliant. The selection of material and the way waste is dealt to was carefully considered.
Mr Hymers says DR Borman Ltd has just finished another sustainable home in Western Lake.
“It’s an earth-covered house. Earth is used as the insulation across the top of the roof and around the two back sides of the home, so there’s only one side that faces into the open and the rest is covered.”
“It’s the first earth house we’ve done, built on a very steep site with difficult access. But it’s really interesting,” he says.
“The house has its own hydro system and solar panels, and it has all macrocarpa finishing and concrete floors.”
Being a part of Registered Master Builders has paid off for DR Borman Ltd, having achieved so much in the competition. Mr Hymers says he joined for the reputation of the organisation.
“Registered Master Builders is a group of builders that are recognised as being better than just the average builder,” Mr Hymers says.
Entering the competition is something he recommends too.
“It’s definitely worth it. But you’ve got to make the decision early and make sure you take care and pay attention to detail. The home has got to encompass design and the site, and the finishing details are really important.”
The 2011 national gala dinner will take place in Auckland on Saturday, November 19.
The Awards are made possible through the support of principal sponsor PlaceMakers and supporting sponsors James Hardie, Gib Living®, Pink® Batts® Ultra® (Tasman Insulation), Nulook, and the Department of Building and Housing.
For information about the competition, visit the Registered Master Builders web sitewww.masterbuilder.org.nz.
