Residential - ATM Builders / Riverstone Castle
Small team takes on enormous challenge Jo Bailey Oamaru builder Mike Spiers of ATM Builders says he never imagined he would add castle to his building portfolio. But he is happy to have been given the opportunity to take on the challenging Riverstone Castle project. “I was building houses in my own subdivision in Oamaru when Dot and Neil Smith approached me to build their castle. I looked at the plans and said, yes, I’d love to give it a crack.” It’s been two years since construction began and Spiers expects to spend at least another year on site. Given the scale of the build, it’s surprising to learn that he and just one apprentice, Jason Anderson have completed the majority of the construction work on their own, apart from a three or four month period when they were assisted by a couple of local builders.
Working with a small team was particularly challenging during the erection of the “phenomenal” amount of steelwork in the castle’s structure, a process monitored throughout by an engineer. However Spiers says he would prefer to work this way to ensure the complex project is completed correctly. “Things might take a bit longer with fewer people but such careful planning and sequencing is required given the amount of detail in the design. “We spend a lot of time reading the plans and looking closely at the architectural details. It’s the only way to ensure the quality is there at the end.” Spiers has worked closely with the engineer, and architect Sarah Scott throughout the process, and particularly Dot Smith, whose vision is being brought to life in the project. “Dot continues to brings lots of ideas to the table and has been fully involved all the way through.”
“Things might take a bit longer with fewer people but such careful planning and sequencing is required given the amount of detail in the design.”
The impressive 1200sqm three storey home-with-a-difference is being constructed on an island on the irrigation pond on the Smith’s farm north of Oamaru. It even has a moat, something high on Dot Smith’s wish list. Blocks made from the gravel excavated from the lake have been laid over the castle’s massive steel structure and painted black with mole seal water retardant ready for the castle’s Oamaru stone cladding. The 40kg bolstered blocks which will soon to be laid, are the final step in the “huge masonry build”.
Block layer Ian Gold and his team have been at Parkside Quarry cutting and bolstering the stone, making the window facings and corner stones which will be used to finish the castle. Gargoyles have been carved from Oamaru Stone by local man Ian Andersen and will be placed all around the external walls to decorate the stone work. Once complete the exterior walls will be 450mm thick.
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