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HOUSE OF THE YEAR » A Knight Builders / Cambridge Homes
Business Central
Coastal homes built to last Karen Phelps Building architecturally designed homes in a coastal environment requires a unique skill set and experience. Waihi Beach based builder A Knight Builders are well versed in both these areas. “There are a lot of precautions that need to be taken when building by the sea,” explains company director Adam Knight. “New Zealand’s coastline is one of the harshest environments to build a house, especially if it is a beach front property. Water can drive sideways and upwards into a house so you can’t employ the same techniques you would use to build a house in other environments. “We need to make sure everything is very weather tight and also built in a way that salt and sand can be cleaned off so it doesn’t collect and damage the home. We build homes that stand the test of time.” As testament to this fact the company won a silver regional award in the 2016 House of the Year competition for the Bay of Plenty/Central Plateau region in the new homes $1 million to $2 million category. The 434sqm Waihi Beach home has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, multiple living spaces and a timber ceiling. Solar power and gas keep running costs low. Adam says the steep site necessitated significant earthworks and a retaining wall as well as four metre deep piles. It was a tight site on which to build the home, which is made from concrete block and beams with a concrete mid-floor with cantilevered beams. The top two storeys are timber frame with steel beams and clad in Resene Integra panel. Adam says that it was the attention to detail and high quality of finish that made it an award winning home.
In 2012 his company also received a House of the Year silver regional award for a renovation at Tanners Point, which included an extension and complete refurbishment of a home. “Winning awards such as this are great recognition and definitely help to cement our position in the market.” Adam, a Licensed Building Practitioner and Master Builder, has been building for over two decades. Over the years his company has grown from smaller projects to architecturally designed new homes, larger renovation projects and light commercial jobs. Although Adam is quick to point out he does still take care of smaller jobs for his clients. “Waihi Beach is a small place so sometimes our customers need assistance with smaller jobs and we’re happy to help them out,” he says. A Knight Builders employs a team of eight permanent staff plus contractors as required. The company works from Katikati to Whangamata but Waihi and Waihi Beach normally keeps it busy with a steady flow of work. Adam prefers to work with clients from the design stage. “This means we can ensure that their design meets their budget and site requirements,” he explains. “From our practical building experience we can also give a pretty good idea of costs early on.” The company works with trusted architects and designers and Adam’s wife Hazel, who completes the company administration, is also studying to become a draftsperson so in the future the company will be able to offer a design service in-house. “I prefer to build homes that people are passionate about. We will continue to do build exciting homes that are uniquely designed to the coastal environment.”
This 434 square metre Waihi Beach home won local builder A Knight Builders a regional silver award at the 2016 House of the Year competition.
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The designer kitchen in this award-winning Cambridge home opens out to landscaped gardens, outdoor living areas, and decks.
High spec home wins bronze Kelly Deeks The design and build of a new home at St Kilda in Cambridge which resulted in the owner’s dreams being turned to reality has also seen design and build company Cambridge Homes Waikato take home the bronze medal for New Homes $650,000 to $1 million from the Waikato Registered Master Builders 2016 House of the Year competition. Cambridge Homes Waikato director Noel Shaw says the project was designed and built for a client with a particular brief, and the company enjoyed creating the unique home they wanted. “They wanted open style living that faced north, they wanted their own bedroom to have separation from the guest bedrooms side of the house, and they wanted four car garaging with one part being a workshop area lined with ply, and separate from their nice cars parked up on a carpeted floor,” he says. “Our client has also elaborated on the energy efficiency of their home with a Solar Smart Energy solar system, upgraded insulation, and a fully automated ducted heating system.” The open plan living area includes a beautiful kitchen and opens out to landscaped gardens, outdoor living areas, and decks which extend out from a large portico. Noel says Cambridge Homes Waikato met the client’s brief, and they are delighted with their new home. The most important thing for us is we’ve created our client’s dream home.” Noel runs Cambridge Homes Waikato in partnership with Phil Webb. Noel snapped up the opportunity to join the Cambridge Homes Waikato team two and a half years ago. “Cambridge Homes Waikato is known for building very high quality homes, and being heavily involved in design and build, which I do like, as we
spend a lot of time with our clients working through their brief and creating the home they want,” he says. “With quite a range of standard plans as well, Cambridge Homes Waikato has the opportunity to mix into both markets.” Cambridge Homes Waikato’s vision is to be with its clients every step of the way. A long-standing business, Cambridge Homes’ values of integrity, trust, and reliability have carried forward from its roots as a local home builder to where it is now, a national company with its focus on its clients.
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