70 | Healthier homes key Responding to demand, Orkney Group’s Green Abode brand uses SIP panels in its high-performing houses. “Quality homes that are healthier environments for people to live in and cheaper to run,” says co-owner Kevin Turley. Orkney Group - Green Abode T T Virginia Wright DEVELOPMENT Having spent a good deal of his time in his 20’s doing up and selling houses it was an obvious step for Kevin Turley to turn his love of property into a property development business. He set up Orkney Development in 2005 with his wife and co-owner Kirsten. By then Kevin was in his 40’s and while the business is now called Orkney Group (his Scottish heritage originated in the Orkney Islands), it’s still driven by that same love of property that got Kevin into flipping houses in the first place. The name change reflects the decision made a few years ago to bring various key construction elements in-house and so avoid some of the frustrations that can easily plague building, whether it’s a renovation or a new build. Kevin also anticipated the current lull in the construction industry. “I could see that the good times were too good to keep going and I’d been through the 2008 crash so I knew it was time to diversify and bring some of the sub-trades in house. As it turns out it was incredibly fortuitous given what’s happening in the industry at the moment,” explains Kevin. Knowing his industry is one of peaks and troughs, and seeing other construction-only companies struggling to survive in today’s tough environment, Kevin believes that diversification keeps Orkney Group buoyant. That and his successful response to market demand when he established his Green Abode brand. “It was a natural shift due to the sorts of enquiries we were getting from people about high performing homes. They wanted to get away from the standard sticks and fluff and go to something a lot better,” says Kevin. Orkney Group decided to get involved in SIP construction which involves using Structural Insulated Panels. The demand continues to grow such that even in the current soft market Green Abode have two architectural design projects for high performing houses underway. “That’s what really spins our wheels is building quality homes that are healthier environments for people to live in and cheaper to run. We’ve done a few now and people are getting to know us,” says Kevin. The high-performance part of the equation is not just hearsay either. The owners of a recently completed house made a last-minute decision to have a ‘blower door’ test done. It’s typically done for a passive house to measure how airtight it is. “We did it with some trepidation and we came out with a better result than the passive house standard, so that was a huge feather in our cap,” says Kevin with pride. It doesn’t end with being airtight either. Typical elements of a high-performance home might include: high-quality windows, a fully insulated concrete slab system, timber from renewable resources such as bamboo floors, low water consumption tapware, low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, worm operated septic systems for rural residents; the list goes on. Orkney Group’s staff of 12 includes a team of roofers and one of painters working alongside their builders, and they have very strong relationships with sub-contractors such as plumbers and electricians. They often hold mid-build open homes for their high performance houses but they’re equally interested in the smaller jobs. “Whether it’s a deck or painting someone’s house or fixing someone’s weatherboards, we’re happy to take care of it,” says Kevin. With his background in flipping houses Kevin knows how important this sort of work is, especially for anyone wanting to spruce up a house to sell, and Orkney Group take it as seriously as they do their architectural new builds. Top Quality, Affordable Solutions Interior Plastering Wellington Earthquake Strengthening Reinstatement Leaky Home Refurbishing Decorative Cornice and Mouldings Gib Cove Installation New Builds Skim Coat Renovations Plaster Repair Proudly Supporting Orkney Group tim@trplastering.co.nz 027 452 9649 www.trplastering.co.nz
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