118 | T T Kim Newth The Pare Street build. Established in 2020, Gisborne-based Far East Developments is focussed on building high spec architectural homes, crafted with care and tailored for long-term lifestyle quality. Founders Mike McDonald and Summah Thorpe are also adding value in the local market with their own high-spec developments, designed and built to meet contemporary needs. The seeds for the couple’s business were planted during the Covid pandemic, which at the time derailed planned travel to Canada. Instead, they began thinking about their successful home renovations together, Mike’s years on the tools as a qualified builder and Summah’s expertise in HR. Within six months, they decided to bring it all together by starting their own business, Far East Developments. “What sets us apart is our size relative to the projects we deliver,” says Mike. “We’re a small architectural building business working to elevate the construction experience on high end projects. We work alongside architects through the design phase, we closely monitor costs as projects progress and maintain tight quality control in construction. I’m very much involved on the ground day to day, from planning to helping on the tools to ensure high-quality designs are meticulously delivered.” Far East Developments started out modestly six years ago with just Mike, Summah and one other employee. Today, they have a seven-strong team, including two apprentices. “We started out doing small renovations, decks, anything that came along. As our clients have got to know us, our focus has shifted from doing small-scale renovations to more specialist architectural projects, both renovations and new builds.” Memorable recent projects for Far East Developments include building a bespoke secondary dwelling for an existing home on Pare Street at Wainui Beach, Gisborne. Designed by Kingsbeer Architecture, this project has transformed beachside living for the client, by providing a beautiful space they can use themselves or for hosting friends and family. “This is a self-contained one-bedroom accommodation unit with its own kitchen, bathroom, lounge and loft, nicely positioned on a beachfront site and providing an attractive addition to the main house. We finished construction last year and the owners are very happy with it. With high-end detailing and a neat roofline with two different pitches, it looks really cool. This project is our seventh or eighth with Shane Kingsbeer. We have a good working relationship with Shane as well as other architects in town.” Building homes for lasting legacy on the East Coast BUILDING Far East Developments Another recent project (‘Jacob Lane’) involved demolishing an existing leaky home, with Far East Developments then tasked with building a detailed architectural four-bedroom home around an existing swimming pool. The result is a beautifully crafted architectural home that’s perfectly in synch with the owners’ lifestyle goals. “They spend a lot of time with family and grandchildren and now have a modern architectural home with connected pool and living to provide a fully seamless experience.” Meanwhile, Mike and Summah have recently employed a marketing specialist to help promote their own planned upcoming developments. In the pipeline are two K k m Residential | Commercial | Industrial Laser Electrical Gisborne +64 6-868 6720 gisborne@laserelectrical.co.nz contemporary two-bedroom townhouses at a convenient inland location near village amenities – perfect for downsizers nearing retirement - along with three high-end, exceptional beach homes positioned to enjoy gorgeous sea views. TAIRĀWHITI PLUMBING SERVICES Plumbing • Drainage • Light Earthworks 027 536 2105 tairawhitiplumbingservices@gmail.com
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