Tukanga Developments’ processes for success

Trusting the process

Alex Penney is a man with a plan. He also likes to be the man with other people’s plans.

At 26 years-old, Alex already has two years under his tool belt as the owner of building company, Tukanga Developments. 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. “Try different things, gain experience in different areas and take on new challenges. “The company name is also meaningful to me. Tukanga means process, and the saying ‘trust the process’ is a mantra for me.” 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. 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. 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. “I make the experience as easy and as enjoyable for them as possible. Because I’ve seen people go through some not-so-fun experiences during the building process.” 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. 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. “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. What he did have a passion for, was forging his own way; entrepreneurship always featured high in his aspirations. 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 be ready to build as soon as he’d completed his apprenticeship. (This was the McFadden’s Road townhouse project in Christchurch, the houses sold earlier in 2021). Following his passion for business, Alex took a year off from his apprenticeship to do some business papers at university.

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.”

The Papanui house while work takes place. Alex Penney and his apprentice Noah

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.

M: 0275 336 623 E: admin@aep.nz exteriorplasterers.co.nz M: 0277 336 623 E: admin@erect.nz erectscaffolding.co.nz

The Bannockburn house bathroom. The Bannockburn house lounge. The McFaddens Road house kitchen.

He knows he’s still learning, gaining experience and is wise enough to know when to use other people as a sounding board. “I know I have back-up to call on, from people who can offer advice and to talk things over if I need it. Juanita is one of those. “She was really helpful from a business perspective, having run her own business for a long time. And now, I know people doing apprenticeships and I can offer them some advice if they want it.” Taking on a major renovation for an 1880s, twostory, timber house is a daunting task and one that even the owners question their sanity over. Kate and Colin Sloss are the co-owners of two properties side-by-side on Papanui Rd. One is the aforementioned renovation, the other is a section where a new build will happen once the 1880s project is completed. “I do wonder why we took on the renovation sometimes,” Kate laughs. “You never know what you’re going to get until you open up the walls. Fortunately, this one has good bones. She is a beautiful old lady and there is definitely a market in Christchurch for character houses.” The Sloss’s took Tukanga on for the renovation on the strength of their McFaddens’s Rd townhouses. “We went through and I thought they’d done a far superior job to a lot of houses we’d looked at. There was real attention to detail in the finishes.” The vision for the Papanui Rd house was developed without an architect. It evolved from the first walk around, during engineering meetings and, according to Alex, just by “figuring out what we could and couldn’t do”. Subsequently, the chimney has been taken out, a dining room turned into a grand loungehall, existing windows have been removed and reinstated in different parts of the house, and old doors and handles reused as much as possible. Retaining the character is a top priority, during major renovations of the living areas. This has included ripping out the kitchen and laundry, and starting again from scratch. Kate says that they more-or-less leave Alex to it, including dealing with the EQC on re-piling the house. “He did a really good job with them. It was one less thing for us to worry about.” The importance of good communication and being honest about what is achievable, is something Alex is very aware of. He says that many builders have a 12-month timeline pinned on their wall that they don’t even look at until they’re 10 months into the job, and find that they’re suddenly four months behind. “I keep people in the loop with realistic expectations. There’s no point in saying that something is going to be done when it’s not. I’ll update the timeline each time a major milestone is reached.” He’ll then update the client, avoiding any sudden unexpected shocks. Apart from maybe the shock of having a builder who’s on to it. This article has turned into an In Praise of Alex Penney piece, but in reality a company is only as good as its people, particularly those who run it. So, a look at the guy in charge reflects what to expect from the company. CT

Upcoming Woolston project Tukanga has secured a development site in the up-and-coming Christchurch suburb of Woolston. They are in the process of developing plans for a four-unit complex. These are architecturally conceptualised two-story townhouses, ranging from 2-3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, and will include an attached single garage. Tukanga are hoping to have these completed and on the market by August 2022. To register interest, go to: www. tukangadevelopments.co.nz/contact.

simple. honest. attractive. empathetic.

p. 03 384 7879 e. studio@young.co.nz Level 3, 61 Cambridge Terrace, Christchurch Central, Christchurch 8013

www.young.co.nz

Tukanga Developments 021 2130 197 alex@tukangadevelopments.co.nz www.tukangadevelopments.co.nz

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