Business North March 2021

82 | Beach House Builders BUILDING Beach House Builders has plenty on in Whangamata. T Sue Russell A sked how business has been, Luke Bax- ter of Whangamata residential building company, Beach House Builders ltd sums it up in one sentence ‘Life has been busy’. Like most businesses when Covid-19 struck Luke and the team had to close everything down and develop safe protocols for the time when they could get back to work. “We could only have a limited number of sub-contractors on the site at any given time, as well as ensuring social distancing at all times” Luke explains. “This made it challenging when in the final stages of a Homestar 7 rated building project”. Now, with the lockdown an increasingly dis- tant memory, Luke says they are flat out and when Business Central spoke with him, they were busy on an extension/renovation and were just about to start another new build. Confining the bulk of his building to the Whangamata area, where demand for new houses and upgrades on existing is always high, Luke says he is pleased with where the company is currently at. His four-man team includes an adult apprentice who has been with the Luke just over a year. This year Luke intends to take on another apprentice to add to the team. Luke feels the apprenticeship pathways in New Zealand work well, catering for those straight from school as well as those who have had previous work experience. Another string to his bow is his qualification as a Homestar Practitioner. As such, Luke is able to guide people on the right path to attain a Homestar rating for their new home. He is a great supporter of the whole philos- ophy behind the Homestar system, developed by the New Zealand Green Building Council. “Homestar is designed to be an inde- pendent rating tool for assessing the health, efficiency, and sustainability of homes across New Zealand. “It is a point’s system so the higher the rating the more effieicnt the home is,” Luke explains. Last year Luke attended a Green Building Council Homestar practitioner and assessor gathering in Hamilton where one of the fo- cuses was about the benefits that come from building this way. “It’s getting more popular in the cities. Not many people had heard of the Homestar system when I first joined the New Zealand Green Building Council in 2015 and now there is a lot more interest from designers, builders and people looking to build consciously with the environment in mind while also saving on the costs incurred from living and running your own home”. Luke describes the Homestar system as a very well researched guideline. “It’s a very thorough process. When a home is built it first receives a Homestar design rating to assure that if the home is built as per the plan then all the necessary factors required to achieve a certain Homestar rating will be met. When the build is complete a separate Homestar Built rating is assessed. “This makes it a very comprehensive system, guaranteeing the home meets all standards set. “To name a few, as builders, we must prove minimal wastage throughout the build, proof of energy efficient rated products and types of lights and adhesives/sealants etc.” Luke’s keeping busy in Whangamata “Homestar is designed to be an independent rating tool for assessing the health, efficiency, and sustainability of homes across New Zealand.” At Bunnings Trade, we’re here to support your business. Our dedicated team of Account Managers and in-store Trade Specialists are armed with knowledge to span the trades, plus we have a range of services to assist with your projects from start to finish. With trade essentials in trade quantities, as well as innovative solutions and expert advice, we have you covered from the ground up. For more information on how we can help you with your upcoming projects, visit bunnings.co.nz/trade MEMBER 2020−2021 Beach House Builders are dedicated to building energy efficient homes. Residential construction - New builds & renovations. Based in Whangamata on the Coromandel Peninsula. www.beachhousebuilders.nz Mob: 021 725 782 Email: beachhousebuilders@gmail.com