| 73 Integrating Architecture: Stead Construction ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Virginia Wright Integrating Architecture and Stead Construction received a ‘Highly Commended’ a the NZIOB Awards for the Sandhu House project. Wide range of experience behind firm “... what I like about our business is that we are learning something every single day, every day is a different type of job, a different type of client, and it’s really interesting.” When he arrived in Christchurch from South Africa 28 years ago Stephen Birkhead soon took a job as project manager with what was then one of New Zealand’s largest project management companies, Arrow International. Although he was registered as an architect in South Africa he would have effectively had to work for two years as an apprentice, with a salary to match, to get registered in New Zealand, which didn’t appeal. At the same time as he moved up through the ranks at Arrow, managing more and more complex commercial projects, Stephen remedied what he felt was a weakness in his financial skills by studying part-time to get his MBA. Arriving in Auckland six years later Stephen was general manager of Carnachan Architects, which specialized in high-end residential, for a year before deciding to set up on his own. He called his company Integrating Architecture which he describes as “a project management company doing whatever clients ask me to do, so I’ve done hotels, houses, big commercial jobs, strategic and development planning. Pretty much anything to do with construction.” A job building a high value house for the owners of the Sudima Hotel group led to numerous jobs in that space, with one job leading to another, which is how Integrating Architecture continues to work. They don’t have a website, although they have a presence on Facebook, but the jobs keep coming in through word-of-mouth and repeat customers. As Stephen says “my clients do my marketing for me.” Although Stephen is a licensed building practitioner and will do design or architectural work if asked, especially if there’s a tricky problem to be solved, his core business remains project management. By 2011 Stephen and his wife Lynn, an accountant, were ready for a lifestyle change and Stephen accepted a position with Wallace Development Company in Hawke’s Bay, putting Integrating Architecture on ice. After five years working on multi-million dollar projects like the new Farmers building in Hastings, the Cosmopolitan Building in Napier, Tui Garden Products factory in Tauranga and numerous Z Service Stations, he went back out on his own in 2015. Having project managed schools, hospitals, petrol stations, factories, supermarkets, resorts, houses and hotels Stephen and Shelley Pishief, project coordinator at Integrating Architecture, have a wide and varied range of experience and generally speaking will take on anything. ”My wife says I struggle to say no,” he says with a laugh, “but what I like about our business is that we are learning something every single day, every day is a different type of job, a different type of client, and it’s really interesting.” For the last three years Integrating Architecture has entered the New Zealand Institute of Building Awards (NZIOB) and made it as far as the finals. Stephen’s delighted that this year, with St. Pierres Onehunga and the Sandhu House Project again having made it to the finals, the Sandhu House Project received a “Highly Commended” for the NZIOB Consultants Award. Integrating Architecture work with a wide range of contractors but Stephen estimates that Stead Construction do about 70% of their work. His relationship with owner Jeremy Stead dates back to his first jobs in Hawke’s Bay and their mutual trust and respect make the negotiations involved in ECI (Early Contractor Involvement) a straightforward process and helped enormously as the Sandhu House build got underway. “There’s a huge amount of transparency with ECI. I like to be able to answer clients’ questions, so I like to see the budget breakdown and understand why things cost what they do,” says Stephen Between them Integrating Architecture and Stead Construction managed and built the $4.5 million Sandhu House project for Balwinder and Daljeet Sandhu. There were plenty of changes to navigate when Balwinder’s budget consciousness came face to face with Daljeet’s vision of her dream home, which brought numerous variations to the signed contract in its wake. Three different building consents with five amendments to the consented plans meant a lot of consultation between the parties as the project team worked hard to keep the build on track while meeting the Sandhu’s expectations, particularly Daljeet’s. In the end Balwinder prioritized marriage over budget, and Stephen walked a careful path through the constantly changing minefield of costs. “I always feel I’ve been successful when the contractor feels he’s happy enough but would have liked a bit more money, and the client is happy with what they’ve paid but would like to have paid a little less. Everyone feels just a little bit pinched including me,” says Stephen with a laugh. With the Sandhu’s delighted with the resulting house, and Stephen equally delighted with their “Highly Commended”, it clearly worked out as a win-win for all. 06 833 8959 INFO@SUPERCHILL.CO.NZ AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION SPECIALISTS SUPERCHILL NAPIER 6 SHEFFIELD PLACE, ONEKAWA. NAPIER SUPERCHILL TAUPO 89 TAUHARA ROAD, TAUPO WWW.SUPERCHILL.CO.NZ www.narellanpools.co.nz HAWKES BAY 027 641 1266 MIKE AND THE TEAM AT NARELLAN POOLS HAWKES BAY PROUDLY SUPPORTS STEAD CONSTRUCTION • Commercial • Residential 06 878 0048 www.stead.co.nz office@stead.co.nz PO Box 14153, Hastings • Educational • Design & Build
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