78 | NZGBC: Seed Property BUILDING Homestar rated housing a core focus Kelly Deeks Brick cladding is a feature of Seed Property’s planned development in Manurewa. Meeting the desperate need for quality affordable housing, Auckland’s Seed Property uses New Zealand Green Building Council’s Homestar rating tool as a cost-effective way to lock in value throughout its developments’ lifecycles, creating homes that are more sustainable, easier to keep warm, and have lower running costs. Seed Property co-owner Mitchell Jefferson adopted Homestar early in his career in residential property development, first using the rating system on a mixed tenure apartment development with Legacy Property in partnership with Housing New Zealand in Christchurch in 2013. “We made a few mistakes along the way, and that was one of the reasons to adopt it early on and learn how do it,” Mitchell says. “The proposed Auckland Unitary Plan at the time was talking about making Homestar mandatory, so we wanted to learn about it sooner rather than later. It didn’t end up in the Unitary Plan, but at Legacy Property, we stuck with it. In 2019, we had delivered more Homestar rated developments than any other developer in New Zealand.” When Mitchell joined forces with commercial property fund manager Ben Visser to form Seed Property in 2020, the pair wanted to incorporate sustainability into every development, and decided to target a minimum of Homestar 7 for every project. Securing a site in Manurewa, Seed Property got consent for six two-bedroom townhouses and built north-facing, well-insulated, double glazed homes, with 100% brick cladding for minimal maintenance. “We want our homes to be affordable now, and also in the future. The ongoing cost to the homeowner is always at the front of our mind when we make decisions on specifications. 100% brick cladding is a huge factor in saving people money in the future, and there are many other little decisions we make along the way. We’ve put in solar outdoor lighting so there is no power cost, and in some cases, we’ve put in bulk water meters to save the owners hundreds of dollars a year on water charges. We are always aware of what the cost is to the homeowner.” The success of the Manurewa development put Mitchell and Ben on a path to replicate this recipe and they got consent for 20 two and three-bedroom terraced homes on a large site at Favona. These homes sold very quickly over a couple of months and concrete slabs were down before Christmas last year. Construction is now complete, the Homestar assessment is pending, and owners will be settling in in October. Mitchell and Ben are stoked with the turnaround on this project, especially considering all the current challenges facing the construction industry. Seed Property has built up a dream team on these two projects, with Chancellor Construction Group completing the building, Collective Contractors doing the site works, and Luijten Landscaping taking care of the external spaces. “Part of our ethos is building this ideal team of not only contractors, but also consultants,” Mitchell says. “Because we have the dream team sorted, we are able to replicate the same results for each project.” Seed Property is now working on a new site at the top of Eskdale Road, Birkdale, on the North Shore, where nine two-bedroom terraced homes will be built with 100% brick cladding and targeting a minimum Homestar rating of 7. “It’s a simple recipe, a simple layout and specification, where we are taking the time to create healthy homes that are affordable now, and also affordable in terms of on-going maintenance. We’ve got tanks collecting rainwater for use in the toilets and laundry, and we’re putting in ducting to each carpark for EV charging. We’re trying to be one step ahead of the game with Homestar. For us, it shows that we care and it gives our buyers some confidence that they are buying a quality product in a quality development.” Chancellor Construction are dedicated to transforming our client's requirements into reality, using sustainable building practices. Proudly supporting Seed Property www.chancecon.co.nz | operations@chancecon.co.nz Lujiten Landscaping is proud to support Seed Property - NZGBC
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