secrets and lives —
AND THE 7 SINS with DAMON GRAY
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WORDS ANGELA COWAN
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boulevardmagazines.com |
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PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 202 0
amon Gray, the founder and general manager of NZ Builders Ltd. has been in construction for nearly 25 years, having started as a young teen in the industry. By 18, he was building his own houses in his native New Zealand, before making the move to the States for several years, and finally settling on Vancouver Island in 2004. “I come from the North Island, off a small hobby farm that would probably be something like what you’d find in Coombs or Central Saanich,” he says, explaining why he chose Vancouver Island when relocating. “That was an attraction. And the people are friendly, like New Zealand. And I don’t have to sit in traffic for two or three hours like I did in the States,” he adds with a laugh. NZ Builders started out doing smaller contract jobs, but the company’s profile exploded when Damon built his own house: an energy-efficient project on Wain Road, heavily focused on sustainability and passive solar design. “It got a lot of press,” he says. “It was different design-wise and was built with all concrete construction. And it was when energy efficiency was just coming in. “Energy efficiency isn’t really worthwhile financially in BC yet, but it’s a healthy way to live regardless. You get a very healthy house out of it, and that’s a really important part of it,” says the father of three. “The company’s always been about quality, building durable and building with energy efficiency.” And while many of their projects have been modern-leaning, NZ Builders is extremely versatile when it comes to working with different designs, he says.