76 | Awards flow for architect Vertical board and batten cladding provides a counterpoint to the horizontal cedar detailing in this Greytown home. from page 75 ARCHITECTURE ADNZ: Holmes Architecture “I got a tutor, and even then I wasn’t up to it, so I got another tutor to get ready for the other tutor to get ready for the class at the end of the week.” With good grades in his design papers, Mike got through his first year and left most of the maths behind as he progressed in his degree, where computer modelling and computer-aided design was the way forward. This was a period of hard work for Mike and his wife Heidi, as they had their first child and Heidi started her own business, Lush Puppies dog grooming salon in Miramar. When Mike graduated in 2011, he never intended to work for himself. “At the time, you didn’t need any license or qualification to submit a building consent application, so I was able pick up a couple of jobs. First was a renovation for our next door neighbour, then a large job adding another storey underneath an existing house. On this project, my building experience really helped.” When the Licensed Building Practitioner scheme was launched in November 2007, Mike gained his license and set to work designing, building, and project managing his own new home at Seatoun Heights. It remains one of his most favourite projects. “It was very hands-on, and we really pushed the envelope with what we could afford and what we could technically do. I challenged my own ability with the scope of the design, being the most technical thing I had ever designed from a detailing and point of view and from a building performance point of view. “It was a beautiful site with established trees and great views. It had a lot going for it and I wanted to do it justice.” Mike’s next projects were a house for his brother and a bach for his parents. He had joined Architectural Designers New Zealand (ADNZ) in 2018 and entered the bach project into the ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards. “Those projects really got me off the ground,” he says. “I won my first award for mum and dad’s bach and it was super gratifying and great to be recognised. Maybe it was beginner’s luck, but we have won something every year since.” Mike has been actively involved with ADNZ since he joined, with some time spent as regional chair and now on the national board. With much of New Zealand’s housing stock being of low quality or poorly designed, this remains a major motivator for Mike, and he knows his membership is an indicator of the quality of his work. “I know what is coming out of our office is work that is high quality, and is contributing in a positive way to our country’s built landscape. “When you’re a member of an association, you’re surrounded by people who are doing a great job for the right reasons, and I want to be in that club.” DUNCAN FORSYTH 027 249 6646 Duncan@forsythplumbingconsultants.co.nz forsythplumbingconsultants.co.nz Forsyth Plumbing Consultants Working to improve building design and functionality. Providing complete plumbing drawings for jobs of all sizes, we will deliver a high-quality product in an efficient manner. Stew 022 452 3462 • Kieran 022 043 2983 enquiries@real-time.co.nz • real-time.co.nz Wellington-based assistance for all your surveying requirements • Construction • Land Development • Technology 027 528 1380 simon@eeconstruction.co.nz
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