Property & Construction | Brewster Building
Medieval meets modern
If you’re in the Tai Tapu neck-of-the-woods you’ll come across an ecofriendly castle complete with moat, drawbridge and turrets. It might sound like an oxymoron, but designer Dennis Chapman and his wife have made such hybrid concepts a reality and Chapman’s inquisitive and, innovative approach to designing homes that is revolutionising greener living, is rapidly gaining traction in Canterbury, and has seen him forge a strong partnership with builder Dean Brewster - but more on that later. “We designed and built the castle behind Tai Tapu, which is now five years old. Initially it was an experiment and a whole lot of ideas that reflect the quirky nature of me and my wife. “The experiment - from a theoretical point of view - was about minimising energy and achieving sustainability in a very advanced technology building that looks old. “We had students studying the castle for their masters thesis, undertaking an analysis on how well the house works as a new way of building, and our ideas were very good mechanically. “From there, we came up with new methodologies to build normal houses, including two in Lincoln - Dean Brewster’s
Property & Construction | Kolorful Kanvas
Coverings with style Seeking shelter from the weather is a basic human requirement, whether it is harsh sun, cold wind or rain.
house and another container size home which was really about testing out our build methodologies before we put them into a real house.” One of the key attributes of the castle is its RibRaft floor, a foundation design specifically designed and developed for New Zealand. Highly durable and economical, it is a popular solution for concrete flooring construction in seismically active areas. “The castle also has very high thermal mass concrete and insulation like they do in Canada. “It has 25Kw of solar power on it on the north roof and most of the north wall of the second storey - more power is generated than is used. “In addition to producing its own power and storing its own energy, the castle also gathers its own water. Flaps at the top and bottom of the impressive solar panels let in or release air. As the castle is airtight with the triple glazed windows being sealed shut, this air reticulation system enables fresh air to be pre-heated by outgoing air.”
Kolorful Kanvas can design and build a canopy over a doorway, a shade sail over your deck or gazebo in the garden.
Kolorful Kanvas Limited in Christchurch can custom design and build the perfect canvas or PVC product to protect your family, possessions or customers from any weather conditions. The company was established in 1975 and has amassed a huge amount of experience in manufacturing and repairing motorised awnings, fixed-frame canopies, sail shades, sun blinds, enclosures, covers, truck-side curtains and more. Director Suresh Budhia started working for the company as an apprentice and then moved on to become a partner and now the owner.
Piping runs through the conrete floors through which heated water can be circulated and a 60,000 litre tank located in the basement serves as a heat store.
He leads a skilled team capable of producing the highest quality products made from the best available materials and components, built to just about any design required. The company offers a two-year workmanship guarantee on all its canvas products.
The Brewster house has 30,000 litres of rotomolded plastic tanks built into its RibRaft foundations.
“We cater for both residential and commercial based clients, and no job is too big or too small,” Suresh says.
The gargoyles serve much more than an authentic decorative purpose - if the castle’s guttering becomes blocked, the water comes out through the gargoyles mouths.
“Working alongside architects, contractors and engineers means we can provide an answer to any scenario to deliver an outstanding product.”
It is this type of incredible innovation that was applied to builder Dean Brewster’s home. CT
Kolorful Kanvas can design and build a canopy over a doorway or a shade sail over your deck or gazebo in the garden. It can give you extra space with a new caravan awning for your holiday, can protect your car in a carport or can provide valuable shade and protection for customers at your business premise.
Innovative ideas and quality manufacturing ensure an affordable, unique and custom product made especially for you - the only limit is your imagination. They can also repair any canvas product and they stock maintenance and cleaning products to ensure your products look great and last.
Award-winning designs Kolorful Kanvas has recently won two industry awards for its products through the Outdoor Fabric Products Association of New Zealand. “One award was for our retractable roof and the other was for an outdoor area with screens, and those products have been selected to go through to the American awards as well,” Suresh says. “The retractable roof is new for us and we have just finished a commercial job with it in Christchurch at The Crossing. There are six roofs in a row on the mezzanine floor. That job will be entered into the awards next year.” Suresh says Kolorful Kanvas is continuing to grow in both the commercial and domestic markets and is always looking for new opportunities and design challenges. CT Kolorful Kanvas Ltd 99 Shakespeare Road PO Box 10228 Waltham Christchurch (03) 366 9583 info@kolorfulkanvas.co.nz www.kolorfulkanvas.co.nz
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www.canterburytoday.co.nz October/November 2018 | 55