Seepages6-7
Nextstepsforvacationhome build
Since MySpace’s October edition, the Yeomans have seen significant progress to their house build in Tairua.
CarissaandVincentYeomanboughtaproperty onPakuHillinTairuabackin2022;andpromptly gotintouchwithalocalarchitectMattDebb,anda localbuilderMattTurner.
ByOctoberthey’dfacedafewbumpsintheroad butsincethentheprocesshasbeenrelativelysmooth.
Anexcitingnewstepistheconcretepadofthe mainfloorhasbeenpoured.“Wegottostandonthe mainfloor,”saidCarissa.“That’sthefirsttimewe’ve beenabletodothat.Nowwecanseetheviewswe’re goingtohaveforourbedroomandthelivingroom.”
AsoutheasternviewlooksouttoSlipperIsland. “Wegottowalkaroundandseehowbigtheliving spaceandthebedroomsaregoingtobe.”
Theconcretepadsandsteelfoundationshave beeninstalledandthenextstepsinvolveframing, plumbingandelectricalwork.
Onepartthey’dbeennervousaboutwasthe concretewallatthefrontofthehousegoingstraight upandthenacrossthefrontofthebuilding.“They installedtheformworkandsupports,pouredthe concreteandthentookofftheformworkonceithad set,”saidVincent.Hesaidtheywereverynervous
becauseifsomethingwentwrongwiththeformwork orsupports,theconcretewouldpourouteverywhere. “It’snerve-wracking,”saidVincent.“Youreallydon’t wantthattogowrongbecauseitjustgetsreallyugly. Thenyou’vegotawholeheapofconcretethat’sabout tosetthat’snotintherightplace.”
Thankfully,everythingwentsmoothly,andthe projectcontinuestoprogress.“Wearefindingitvery exciting,”saidCarissa.“Everytimewegouptosee theprogress,weseeabigdifference.”
Vincentbelievedthebuildingprocessofthehouse isaround50%-60%completeandtheyhopeitwill befinishedbyAugust-September.
Thisisthestageoftheprojectwheretheywillrely heavilyonsuppliersandsub-contractors.
TheYeomanssaidthat’swhyit’sessentialtohavea builderthat’swellorganised,communicateswell,and onethatcancallongoodsub-contractors.
Carissabelievedtheirbuilderwasaheadofthe game.“He’sthinkingaboutandorganisingthings monthsahead.He’sjustontoit.”
Thenextbuildphaseinvolvesafairbitofinput fromsub-contractors.Thisincludesplumbing, electricalwork,installingthekitchenandbathrooms, timberframing,roofing,windowsandglazing; andthatallinvolvesbringingthingstogetherat therighttimesosub-contractorscandotheirjobs efficiently.Thewindowsarebeingbuilttofit,notby dimensions,whichmeansitmaytakelongerifthere isadelayinsupplies.
SoontheYeomanswillhaveascheduledwalkaroundwiththeirbuilderandelectriciantogo througheveryroomthoroughlyanddiscusswhere thelightswitchesandsuchwillbeplaced.
changes earlier rather than later
Carissasaidsometimesthedesigncanlookdifferent inyourheadsoit’sgoodtohavearealisticrender.
“That’soneofthemethodstheyusetomakesure theyunderstandwhatthecustomerwants...It’s excitingforustogettherendersbecausethat’sagood way of getting to see what it will look like ”
Beforethekitchenisbuilt,they’vehadthe opportunitytoviewthedesignusingrealistic 3Drendersandmodelswhichareusedtoensure customersarehappywiththedesignoridentify changesearlierratherthanlater i t e w
The family standing for the first time on the main floor concrete slab with some of the steel beams in place Photos: supp ied
An architect’s s impression of the back of the house oncefullycompleted.
Style,Functionand EasyElegance
They’rethemostutilisedpartofevery house,andwhendonerightadoorcan becomeastylishfeatureratherthan anecessity.
ForLoisNatta,anewbarndoororderedfrom Parkwood’splantation.co.nzwebsitetransformedher laundryfromdarkanddatedintoalight,modern space.
“Ihatetrawlingshowrooms,soIwasreallyhappy withhoweasy[itwas]toorderabeautifuldoor onlinethatwasdeliveredquicklyandinstalledby TimfromSortitPropertyMaintenance,”shesaid. “Thewebsitealsoadvisedthebestaccessoriesand hardware.I’mthrilledwiththeresult.”
Formorethan30years,Parkwoodhasspecialised inhand-crafteddoorsthatlookstunning,areeasy toinstall,andbuilttolastwithindustry-leading warranties.
“Barndoorshaveatimelessappealthatnevergoes outoffashion,”saidParkwoodmarketingexecutive RebekahBrown.“Ourrangeincludesrustictimber completewithknotstosmoothready-to-paint finishesandfromindustrialtoarty.”
Barndoorsareacost-effectivewaytoelevate aestheticsandaddcharactertoanyroom.
Parkwood’srange,onlineat:www.plantation.co.nz offersmorethanjustbarndoors,butalsofrontdoor hardwareanddigitallocksfromavarietyofNew Zealand’sreliablemanufacturersandimporters.
DebbieGriffiths
Ifyou’remid-renovationright now,putthetoolsdown.If you’reabouttotearthehouse tobits,stop.Ifyou’rein planningmode,holdthatpen. Becausethere’snothingworsethan renovationregret.I’vegotit;now I’mhavingtofindawayoutofit. Theysay‘hindsightisabeautiful thing’–buttomeit’sapainthe neck!Lotsofwebsiteswillgiveyou adviceonhowtoavoidit.
Don’tunderestimatecostsor choosethecheapestcontracts,they say.Othersreckonapoorfloorplan canbeyourundoing.Anotheris thinkingDIYwillsaveyoucash. Forme,theproblemwasalittle morepractical.Wedidn’tinclude enoughstorage.Inonebedroomwe rippedoutthewall-longandhigh wardrobe.BehindthisIusedtokeep allkindsofjunk–usefuljunk! Andyes,nanawarneduswemust installalinencupboardinthispart ofthishouse.Wesighedandlistened toherandbuiltabig,long,slim, linencupboardonthesideofthe extra-widehallwaytheoldhomehad beenbuiltwith.Problemsortedwe thought… Nope!Youseethatoldbig bedroomwardrobewasprobably twicethesize–ifnotbigger.So nowwehavelessstoragethanwe hadbefore–andabiggerareato thispartofthehome.Sigh!Yes, weinstallednewwardrobesinthe twobedroomsatthisendofthe house–butalsoweinstalledtwo
childrenintotheseroomswithall theirbooks,toys,clothingetc.Sono storageavailableintheirrooms. Nowwe’respendingourtime tediouslydevisingaplantosqueeze inabove-headstorageinanookor crannyoftheceiling.Becausewe stillneedtostoretheChristmastree and1.7millionfestivedecorations andlights,thecampinggear,and allthoseotheritemsyouuseatone timeoftheyearbutdon’twantto buyneweverytime.Thinkshade sails,travelluggage,heaters,fans, Halloweendress-upsetc.Killme now!
Inhindsight,asanewbierenovator, I’dhavedonelotsmoreresearch andactuallivingintheareabefore werenovated.AndIshouldhave askedtheprofessionalsmoresilly questions,becausetheyknowallthe commonslip-upspeoplecanblindly take.Yes,hindsightisabeautiful thing…
MerleCave
Before After
Creatingthe healthiest ofhomes
ABayofPlentyarchitectural designerisworkingtocreate bespokehigh-endhomes thatalsosupportthehealth oftheirowners.
Inspiredbythenow-iconic PassivHausphilosophythat originatedinGermanyinthe 1980s,TonyBiesiekfromImagine Architecturelastyearbecamea certifiedPassiveHousedesigner. “Inmyrole,you’llgivemea briefandthenI’llincludealot thatyoudidn’taskfor,”said Biesiek.“There’llbedecisions aroundinsulation,efficiency, positioningandmaterialsthat mostclientsdon’tevenknoware needed.Ilookforopportunities toachievethebestoutcome.”
NewZealandhasoneofthe highestratesofrespiratory conditionsintheworldand unhealthyhomesareakey
contributor.
Accordingtostatisticsfrom theAsthmaandRespiratory FoundationNZ,thenumberof Kiwissufferingfromrespiratory diseaseisfarworsethanpreviously thought,witharoundonemillion NewZealandersaffected.
Thedesign BiesieksaidthePassiveHouse philosophyincludesrulesthat createhealthierhomesviatheir design.
“Thefirstisthethermal insulation,”saidBiesiek.“It reducestheheatlossandheat gaintoenablethebuildingtostay comfortableonahotday.”
Hegivestheexampleof climbingintotheroofofahouse onahotday.“Insummer,it’s unbearable.Withoutinsulation, thatheatwouldmakeitsway downintothehouse.
“That’swhyolderhomeswere
hotanduncomfortableinthe hottestmonthsandtoocoldin thewinter.Weworktoflattenout thosepeaksandtroughs.”
Airtightnessisalsoimportant. “Acontinuousairtightlayer preventsdraftsandenhances energyefficiency,”saidBiesiek. “Constructionmethodsweemploy improveairtightnessandthat reducesenergylossthroughgaps.” High-performancewindowsare nextonthecheck-list.“Windows aretheweakestpartofyour housewhenitcomestothermal efficiency.Usingaluminium, UPVCormoderntimberframes, doubleglazedortriple-pane windowswithinsulatedframes minimiseheattransferand maximisenaturallight.”
Home’slungs
Mechanicalventilationwith heatrecovery,orMVHR, ensuresfreshaircirculationwhile
Above:Theroofoverhangstoprotect thebuilding’sinteriorfromsun.
Below:ArchitectTonyBiesiek.
recoveringheat.
“Theprincipleisthatwe’renotjust dragginghotairfromtheroofspace.
“Thegoalistobringfresh,filtered airintothehouseandextractdamp staleairoutinthesameproportion.A heatexchangereffectivelybecomesthe lungsofthehouse,removingpollen andtoxins.”
Theresultisfresh,cleanairata constanttemperatureandthere’s plentyofanecdotalevidenceof homeowners’respiratoryhealth improving.
“I’machronichayfeversufferer andInoticedthedifferenceafterI designedandbuiltmyownhomein 1997.Havingastabletemperatureis oneofthehealthbenefitsthat’snot talkedaboutenough.”
Thermalbridge-freedesignisafocus
onstructuralelementsdesignedto eliminatecoldspotsandenhance energyperformance.
“Thinkaboutasaucepanthatallows heattotravelthroughquickly.Ina house,that’stimberframesandservices soweneedtominimiseconductive elements.Wefocusontheassemblyof thebuildingandthematerialsusedto minimisethathappening.”
Leastconsidered
Finally,solargainutilisationwhichis oftentheleastconsideredoftherules.
“Buildingsneedtobeorientedand designedtomaximisesunshinein winterwhileminimisingoverheating insummer.It’smakinggoodchoices aboutthedirectionthehousefacesto bethermalenergyefficient.
“Ittendstofalldownthepecking
ordertothingslikestreetappeal andtheview.”ForBiesiek,homes alsoneedtobefuture-proofed.
“Mybusinesspartnerand Ibothgrewupwithfamily membersinwheelchairs. We’vecompletedhundredsof renovationstomakeaccessibility bettersoinourbespoke commissionsweusetheuniversal designphilosophy.It’snotabout ifyou’llhaveadisabilityor injury,butwhen.” Herecalledafriendinher twentieswhohyperextendedher kneeduringanetballgame.
“Shecouldn’tevengetintoher ownshower.Inspiteofbeing young,foramomentinherlife, shehadadisability.
Mostrewarding
“Oneoftheprivilegesofmy workisIgetclosetoclientsand talkaboutfuturehealthtode-risk
theirhouse.Forthosewhorefuse toaccepttheirownmortality, wequietlygoaheadandput structuralelementsinthewalls forfutureadditionslikehandrails inbathrooms.”
ForBiesiek,theseareoftenthe mostrewardingprojects. “Onewomanhadbeengoingto thelocalhospitaltwice-a-weekto showerbecauseshecouldn’tuse herownbathroom.Shewasin tearsaftertherenovationbecause itwasthefirsttimeshe’dbeenable tocareforherselfinfiveyears. “Attheendoftheday,Ihave aninquisitivemindsoI’mnot interestedinrinseandrepeat. Ihaveadesiretoimproveand investigatebeyondwhatothers aredoing,ponderingwaysto useexistingmethodstomake moreefficient,beautifuland comfortablehomes.”
DebbieGriffiths
Double-glazedwindowsminimiseheattransferandmaximisenaturallight.
Dreamhomemade real!
Theremnantsofateenager’s birthdaypoolpartyarestill visibleasAngelaandEric Patonrecallthesuccessoftheir recentrenovationwithCoast NZConstruction.Itcreated theirdreambackyard,andalso madetheirentirehomemore functionalandcohesive.
“Thisisexactlywhatwewanted,” saidAngela.“It’schangedthewaywe spendourweekends,infactwedidn’t goawaythissummerbecausewejust wantedtohangouthere.”
Thecoupleboughtthe1979 PāpāmoaBeachhomeonits814m2
cornersectionsevenyearsago.
“It’ssoclosetothebeachbutitwas full-on1970swithorangeglass,a fireplacethattookuphalfthelounge andmushroomwallpaper,”said Angela.
Thefrontdoorwasinabreezeway thatconnectedthegarage,andalarge in-and-outdrivewaydominatedthe bestpartoftheproperty.
Vision
“Wealwayshadthevisionofthe pooltherebecauseitgetsalldaysun buthowwewouldmakeitworkand stillgetintothehousewasabitofa puzzle,”saidAngela.“Weprobably could’vesqueezedinapoolatthe backoftheproperty,butitreally wasn’twhatwehadinmind.We
ResidentialSubdivision
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startedlookingaroundhomesonthemarket.”
Theycouldn’tfindanythingasclosetothe beach,soEricinvitedJimmyDowfromCoastNZ Constructionovertodiscusstheirideas.“Wesaw hissignsaround,soIgavehimacall.He’ssoopen andgenuine,”saidEric.
“Hestartedgettingexcitedstraightawaywhich madeusexcitedaboutit,”laughedAngela.
“Idrewuproughplansrightaway,”saidJimmy. “AngelaandEricwereinagoodspacewherethey knewwhattheywantedbutwerealsoopentoall oursuggestions.Theychosetherighttime,too.
Opportunity
“Renovationsaremuchmoreaffordablenow.After Covid,thecostofmaterialsskyrocketedandnow priceshavecomebackdownsoit’sagreattimeto
renovate.”
Infact,thecouplegrabbedtheopportunityto makeotherchanges.“Whenthedesignercamein, heasked:‘Isthereanythingelseyouwantdone?’ andwesaid:‘Actuallyyes’,”recalledEric.“Wehad awalk-inwardrobeputintothemasterandour ensuiteextendedbytwicethesize.”
Plansweredrawnup,costingsdone,consents approvedandthenthePatonsneededtohead overseasforawedding.Itwastheidealtimeforthe demolitionwork.
“CoastNZConstructionweregreataboutfinding waystofitinwithourlives.Welivedherethe wholetime,andtheyfiguredouthowtomakeit work,”saidAngela.
Theresult?Anexpansive,contemporaryhomeon asectionthecouplelove.
“Ithinkifwehadgonedownthat routeofmoving,wewould’vebeenreally guttedtolosethishouse.It’sintheideal positionwithgreatneighboursandit’sso closetoschoolsandshops,”saidAngela. “Wenowhaveabeautifulsecondlounge andanofficethatwedesperatelyneeded. Wealsohaveagood-sizeddoublegarage.
Theart
Jimmysaidtheartofagoodrenovation “istomakeitlookasthoughit’salways beenthere”.“Wewenttoalotofeffort tomatchtheexteriortimber,thejoinery andeventheconcretetilesontheroof thathadtobebroughtinfromAustralia.” Theyevengotabricklayertocarefully removethebricksfromtheoldgarage asitwasbeingdemolished,sothenew extensionblendedseamlesslywiththe old.Likeanyrenovation,though,it wasn’twithoutchallenges.“Theyfound asbestosintheroofwhichwasabitof apain,”saidEric.“Wecannotfault thecommunicationfromCoastNZ Construction,though.Itwasamazing,”
saidAngela.“Theytolduswhat washappeningandgaveuspossible solutions.Theywouldtellustheir recommendationandthereasoning straightaway.Ifwehadanyissue, Jimmywasreactiveandontoit.”
Oasis
Ericisgladtheywentdownthe renovationpathratherthanhuntingfor anewhouseandmoving.“Weadded afireplaceinthenewloungeandair conditioninginallbedrooms.Itfeelslike anewhouse,”saidEric.“We’repretty happywithit.”
TheCoastNZteamisthrilledwiththe result.“Thepoollooksreallycool.It’s createdtheirownoasis,”saidco-owner CharlieDow.“Theywereverymuch theidealclients.Easy-going,opento suggestions,andtheyrolledwiththe punches.Weworkedwiththemright fromplanningstagesandhonestly,they werejustawesome.”
DebbieGriffiths
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DebbieGriffiths