Construction | Tukanga Developments
Trusting the process Alex Penney is a man with a plan. He also likes to be the man with other people’s plans.
“The company name is also meaningful to me. Tukanga means process, and the saying ‘trust the process’ is a mantra for me.”
At 26 years-old, Alex already has two years under his tool belt as the owner of building company, Tukanga Developments.
There is a lot to be said for youth, aside from having a full head of hair, it can embody a fearlessness that can make just about anything possible.
His projects include architectural new builds and most recently, a major renovation of an 1880s Christchurch house on Papanui Rd, which is a work in progress. He describes these projects as a microcosm of what he represents and wants to do.
Those who have collaborated with him share the assessment, that he’s a young guy who has vision and will find a way to say “yes” to his clients’ requests.
Alex brings this to his work, but don’t confuse that fearlessness with unnecessary risk taking. “I’m very aware that I’m dealing with peoples’ livelihoods. What I do like to do, is take on the worry on behalf of the client.
“Try different things, gain experience in different “I make the experience as easy and as enjoyable areas and take on new challenges. for them as possible. Because I’ve seen people go through some not-so-fun experiences during the building process.”
Technical, creative, practical
Many builders have a one track mind. Creative clients often need a builder and project manager who can really hop aboard with their vision and speak their language. Alex says, “I find myself extremely interested in design and I know that if you pick up on some little things in the planning stage, it will make a huge difference to the completed project.”
It’s about being bold and acting on the courage of your convictions. Arrowtown Design, interior designer Juanita Doherty sings his praises. “Because he’s young and innovative, I could bounce ideas off him. “He thinks like a designer. Generally, as a designer when you come up with ideas, builders won’t back you. Alex is the opposite.” She’s talking about Alex coming onboard as a second builder for an architectural house in Bannockburn, in Queenstown. Juanita says that he joined them to gain experience and soon became invaluable for the project. “I think the reason why we got our design ideas across the line is because of Alex’s input. Arrowtown Design is about to launch at Archipro (portal for building industry professionals) and Alex played a big part in that.” The man himself says this kind of boldly-goingattitude is something that is prevalent amongst his peers, maybe it’s a trait of post-quake Christchurch young people.
The Papanui house while work takes place.
One of the objectives of Tukanga Developments is to bring affordable, high-quality homes to the city that still needs them, after so many were lost in the earthquakes.
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Alex Penney and his apprentice Noah
“My group of friends who are the same age as me, are not afraid to go for it. I’ve got two mates who run a building company, who have a lot of work on. I’ve two other close friends who have 50 or 60 townhouses on the go. We all came up doing our apprenticeships together.” OK, Boomers, the young Turks are forging ahead. And this is all good, according to Jaunita Doherty. “On the project management side of things, he was anticipating what was going to happen, letting me know what he needed from me well in advance. It made the Bannockburn project that much more enjoyable.” The organisation side of things is one that Alex particularly relishes and he appears to be a natural but, becoming a builder wasn’t a fait accompli. While at Christchurch Boys High School he kept his options open, doing Gateway training with a building company as an option if nothing else floated his boat.
Tukanga Developments at a glance Property development Creating a clear vision from the client’s idea. Whether it be land of your own, or simply seeking advice about the financial viability of a future project. Project management Whether it be a personal new build, spec home, a multi-unit complex, or renovating an existing property. Tukanga Developments aim to make sure day-to-day site operations run smoothly so the client can focus on the bigger picture. Interior design Working with some of the best in the business, from colour schemes to feature components and lighting, every detail matters.
be ready to build as soon as he’d completed his What he did have a passion for, was forging his apprenticeship. (This was the McFadden’s Road own way; entrepreneurship always featured high townhouse project in Christchurch, the houses in his aspirations. sold earlier in 2021). Prior to forming the company, Alex worked on his parents’ architectural house. Then, he and his brother Cam bought land in 2017, so he’d
Following his passion for business, Alex took a year off from his apprenticeship to do some business papers at university.
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