Peter Breen was pleased for his project manager, his foreman, and all the team involved when Breen Construction was named as winner of the Southern Registered Master Builders Supreme Award in the 2015 House of the Year competition.
The winning Wanaka house, which is now a family home, was “a complex detailed job,” Mr Breen says. “All the team have a lot of personal pride in their work, so I was pleased that they could have some formal recognition.”
Mr Breen says it’s nice to be back winning an award in the House of the Year competition. “We won a National award last year, so it’s nice to go back to back with another high quality project. It shows that we maintain our standards across the company with different teams of people, and it shows our consistency.
“It rewards all of the hard work that everyone puts in every day that doesn’t normally get recognised.”
Breen Construction enters the Registered Master Builders House of the Year Competition every year. “It’s great to be judged by your peers and others in the industry,” he says. “We don’ t set out to win awards, we set out to satisfy our clients, but these awards are a bonus.”
The winning home stood out from others in the category because of a number of impressive details that were unusual. “There was a diverse range of materials used, including off-the-form finished concrete, extensive cedar claddings, central Otago schist and recycled restive timber beams and trusses.
“This required various techniques and methodologies, and considered forward planning and programming. It was an all-round technical build that required co-ordination and co-operation from all parties,” Mr Breen says. Sometimes it takes a lot of work to make things look simple, and this was the case with this home.
“It may look simple from the pictures, but a lot of detail was required to get it to where it is.” bathrooms, laundries, kitchens and gas…
The judges were impressed by the work involved, calling the house a “complex structure executed to a very high standard”. “This large house has defined wings for guests, family and gatherings, each with adjacent outside spaces tailored to sun, privacy and entertainment,” they said.
“There are three separate wings integrated around a central courtyard, with three other outdoor living areas. “Different building materials and complex junctions have been completed to a high standard. The result is a restrained elegance with design surprises and a comfortable ambience.”
Mr Breen says there are business advantages that come with competing in House of the Year. “It gets your name out there a bit more through the good work of Master Builders. It shows clients consistency, and gives them confidence that we can achieve the quality.”
The Awards are made possible through the support of PlaceMakers, Master Build Services, James Hardie, GIB, Nulook, SafetyMate, Carters, ITM, Plumbing World, Resene, Westpac and Mitre 10.
