120 | T T Kelly Deeks Boris works alongside a draftsman he has used for 25 years. The owners of a new home near Havelock North once missed out on buying a personal home of Blackwood Group builder Boris van Zijll de Jong. They liked it so much that years later, they tracked him down through the real estate agent and asked him to build their own. “This was a pretty cool way to make a connection,” Boris says. “And an honour that they remembered my house and liked it that much.” He is now well into construction of their nearly 400sqm pavilion style home on their lifestyle block, with a design that draws on features they admired when they were shown through Boris’s business partner’s 350sqm home. The couple had lived on their property for several years and knew the section well. Their existing house was moved off site to make way for the new home, which sits well back from the road with established gardens, trees, and hedges. The home centres on a kitchen, dining, and living pavilion with ceilings rising to about five metres at the apex. Two wings extend from it, separating kids’ and parents’ spaces. The teenagers have four bedrooms, a bathroom, and living room, while the owners have a large master bedroom, walk in wardrobe, office, and dedicated yoga room. Extensive glazing in the yoga room looks across the front lawn, while about 170sqm of kwila decking wraps around the rear. Two outdoor living areas let the owners follow the sun, with automated louvre roofs, blinds, and rain sensors providing protection from Hawke’s Bay’s wind and summer heat. For Boris, the project also demonstrates why a house needs to be designed around its section, rather than simply selected from a plan book. “The sun is immeasurably important. People don’t realise and they will pick a plan out of a brochure, but it doesn’t work on their section.” That practical approach carries through Blackwood Group’s design and build service, with Boris involved from the beginning and remaining the client’s single point of contact. “I like to keep things simple and efficient. The client just deals with one person, me, and everything comes back to me.” Boris works alongside a draftsman he has used for 25 years. Once the concept is finalised, he prices the entire project with suppliers, subcontractors, and a quantity surveyor before offering a fixed price contract. Provisional sums cover items that have not yet been selected, such as the kitchen and bathroom, with any unused allowance returned to the clients. ‘An honour that they liked it that much’ BUILDING Blackwood Construction “Transparency is key. They know I’m going to build this house to this specification for this price.” The clients are living in a cabin on the property while the build progresses, giving them a front row seat as their home takes shape. Due to the size of the home, and to allow for any unexpected delays such as bad weather, Boris has allowed nine to 12 months for construction. However in most cases, he can build a new home within six to nine months. Boris has returned to his first passion of building three years ago after seven years in PUMP SYSTEMS • DRAINAGE • WASTEWATER ELECTRICAL SERVICE TECHNICIAN Integrated Pump Solutions are proud to support Blackwood Construction 022 1661 756 | www.integratedps.co.nz the beekeeping industry with his business partner. Building is now his primary focus again, and Blackwood Group concentrates on new homes and selected renovations, and Boris keeps the business deliberately straightforward.
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