74 | Jon McAlpine Architecture: Oceanview Rd T T Virginia Wright Turning clients’ dreams into reality Huge amounts of structural steel went in after multiple calculations and cross checks. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Jon McAlpine has been working in architectural design in the Bay of Plenty since 2000 but only recently rebranded his own business as Jon McAlpine Architecture having bought out the various colleagues he’d been working with as Thorne Group Architecture for 14 years. Jon McAlpine Architecture is now a well-established team of five technicians with administrative support which makes for a great office environment and a very efficient workflow, explains Jon. “We’ve worked together for years, everyone knows each other, we’re all thinking the same way, so it gives a better outcome for clients with collaboration where it pays off on things like detailing and dealing with council.” Working predominantly in high-end residential, their projects range as far afield as Hamilton and the Coromandel and south towards Wellington but the majority are in the Bay of Plenty, Tauranga and Mount Maunganui in particular. Projects could be anywhere from $500,000 to $10 million. “There’s a massive broad range of projects within that, and they range from new builds to extensive renovation work, but to us it doesn’t matter which it is, we approach it the same way with the same enthusiasm and the same thought process no matter what the budget or scale,” says Jon. Behind every project is a person, and whether it’s adding a bathroom or building a new home Jon knows it’s still their dream that he’s working on, and that’s what drives him. “Working with people from all walks of life, and all with their different dynamics, with the husband wanting this while the wife wants that and you have to manage that. You sometimes end up being a marriage counsellor,” he says with a smile. “It’s all about the people and honestly that’s what I enjoy. I’ve made friends for life.” The team at Jon McAlpine Architecture pride themselves not only on their design work but making sure that it’s grounded in reality, the reality of the client’s budget in particular. Jon works very closely with builders about which is the best way to do things and is always open to finding a better way forward that might save the client money. The firm has a reputation for its approachability because taking the time to get to know people and what they want is part of the groundwork done early as they work to put money into the areas that matter for each client. For Jon’s client in Oceanview Rd in Mount Maunganui, what mattered was making it possible for his young family to enjoy the expansive ocean view he could see when he stood on his house’s newly installed roof for the first time, which meant a complete change of plan. “They were already part way through building the very high-end home the client wanted, which was ‘deceptively simple’ considering the amount of structure that went into it,”Jon explains. “The client was very clear about the look he wanted which pushed us, both in terms of design and in detailing, even before he climbed up onto the new roof and decided he wanted a full roof deck. “So, the roof had to come off, and the structure redesigned to take the loading of the new deck. It was a massive undertaking for the builders to do it all, but it worked out really well. Impact Construction were great; they’ve got a really ‘can do’ attitude and their craftsmanship is phenomenal.” Huge amounts of structural steel went in after multiple calculations and cross checks to ensure its integrity. The internal access was designed according to the client’s wish for clean, modern lines which resulted in a hidden door leading to a set of stairs winding up behind the media room cabinetry, explains Jon. “You push the button, and a big automatic hatch opens as you go up onto the roof deck, so it’s pretty James Bond like; it’s pretty cool.” The quality of the build was recognised when Oceanview received two commendations in this year’s ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards for New Home over 300sqm and Home Interiors. Jon believes that successes like this stem from the fact that he and his team still love the job. Regardless of the size of the project they look after each other and enjoy a laugh while they come up with their award-winning designs.
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