80 | Church build wins accolades A complex curved roof and extensive carpentry work were central features of the large bespoke Tuvalu Church auditorium. CONTRACTING Jacobson Projects Residential • Commercial • New Builds • Renovations • Maintenance 021 210 5934 info@plexuselectrical.co.nz plexuselectrical.co.nz www.theplumbingcrowd.co.nz 021 773 902 It was construction of the Tuvalu Christian Church in Henderson that got Jacobson Projects started, and the judges of the 2021 Master Builders New Zealand Commercial Projects Awards reckoned the young Auckland company made such a superb job of a unique and challenging build that they gave it a special award. “Delivering this project within budget and near to original time-frames, despite significant design delays, was a massive achievement,” the judges said. The award was a ringing endorsement of the building company formed in early 2019 by quantity surveyor Willie Jacobson, and its sympathetic handling of the Tuvalu project has since attracted a succession of other church and community-related jobs, as well as a variety of commercial projects. The Tuvalu project “highlights what can be achieved when everyone works together collaboratively,” the judges added. A complex curved roof and extensive carpentry work were central features of the large bespoke Tuvalu Church auditorium, but Jacobson Projects displayed “a strong personal commitment to go the extra mile (and) the project was delivered successfully within budget,” the judges said. “The build is unique in terms of the scale of timber construction, with 14m-high glulam beams (that) provide the main structure, with Hy-span rafters used throughout.” With the background of a Bachelor of Construction degree majoring in quantity surveying, and extensive project and cost management experience with multiple leading building firms, Willie Jacobson launched his company with a focus on values based on a transparency and relationship-based approach. Hugh de Lacy The company, which has since grown to a staff of more than 20, was formed specifically to take on the Tuvalu church project and at the time there were no plans to expand it into the multi-functional building company it has since become. “We were simply looking to do that one project then figure things out from there,” Willie says. “But before we finished that project we had several requests from other churches and clients to undertake a similar service.” After initially utilising various sub-contractors, Jacobson Projects in mid-2020 began transitioning to a model based on establishing sister companies, including JP2B Ltd which serves as the parent company’s in-house crew of carpenters. This was complemented in early 2021 with the formation of SiteWorx Ltd as Jacobson Projects’ civil, site-works and hard-landscaping division, “and we are now looking to solidify our processes and consistency of delivery,” Willie says. “We will be settled into our new office and yard by early 2022, which will provide a much-needed base for our bespoke business.” And to keep the growth momentum going, a Property Services division has also been added offering property management and maintenance services. While churches comprised several of Jacobson Projects’ initial clients, residential projects are now beginning to dominate the company’s work, including a 15-unit townhouse development starting soon in Point Chevalier. “We are also excited to be part of early-stage budget and design planning for upcoming projects such as the proposed Whangaparoa Community Hub,” Willie says. “Our aim is to be good people delivering great outcomes.”
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