| 107 T T Virginia Wright Having early input benefits clients Last year, two of A Knight Design & Build’s houses won gold at the Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards. A Knight Design & Build BUILDING Bay of Plenty builder Adam Knight has been working for himself for many years, initially as a sole trader, then with his first company A Knight Builders, which he later rebranded to A Knight Design & Build. The rebranding was to reflect his wish to be part of the building process early on, knowing that’s how the company can bring additional benefits to clients. As he explains: “Either people are coming to us early with plans from other architects or coming to us from scratch and we introduce them to architects, but we’re getting involved earlier on because we’re building such complicated projects, and we have people coming in with unrealistic budgets and a lack of information. We want to help clients early on to form realistic budgets and goals, basically.” A Knight Design & Build usually has two to three teams working on different projects with a mix of six builders on staff (plus Adam himself), and as many of their regular contractors as they need to properly resource the work. Adam’s own attention to detail is something he looks for in his team, together with a love for the trade. “Generally, the guys that last in this industry are people that love what they do and enjoy building, and that translates to great work, and obviously clients love it as well when people enjoy their job,” he says. Over the years, 23 apprentices have trained with Adam and his team, with some staying on with him and many others now the company’s regular contractors. “There are a lot of young local builders who were once my apprentices, who’ve gone out on their own just like I did, and they’re all doing really well,” says Adam. Last year, two of A Knight Design & Build’s houses won gold at the Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards; both won their categories, both were in the Top 100, and one went on to win the Renovation under $500,000 category at the national level. The new build under $2,000,000 at Waihi Beach involved working with Wellington clients with a real vision of what they wanted, Adam explains. “We worked really well as a team. They loved that Wellington-style villa, and between us we managed to incorporate a bit of beach architecture into it so it didn’t look out of place.” Taking care to make sure the villa fitted well into the beachside landscape, and among the pohutukawa trees that grace the section, meant careful use of materials treated to look like they have weathered naturally, and a coastal colour palette working in with the tussock that was integral to the landscaping. The National Award-winning renovation under $500,000 also involved building something new that reflected the vibe of a previously renovated villa that had won them an award a few years ago. This time, an old, original milking shed was transformed into a self-contained sleep-out complete with a work shed and a brewing room where the owner enjoys brewing his own beer. “We really enjoyed working with Don and Karen. The idea was to keep the original shape of the milking shed with its adjoining tower, and we tried to re-use as much as we could. It was about modernising the milk shed without losing its heart, making sure it fits in with the villa and the rest of the built environment around it,” says Adam. Clearly, both projects succeeded at what they set out to do, and equally clearly Adam’s teams’ attention to detail on a job they enjoy translates into buildings that hit their briefs, making for happy homeowners and a steady stream of awards. Visit our showroom 1/18 Barberry St, Judea, Tauranga 07 5799118 grindking.co.nz CONCRETE CONTRACTORS REX: 027 285 5489 Residential • Industrial • Rural • Ribraft or Standard Foundations A Quality Job at a Competitive Rate www.brownmoreconcrete.nz | Residential Series Metro Series | APL Architectural Series | ThermalHeart+® Email: info@alitech.co.nz, Phone: 07 863 9091 Website: www.alitech.co.nz Showroom: 35 Victoria Street, Waihi 3610 Hamilton showroom by appointment only.
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