| 127 Plenty of variety in Morrinsville Sam also runs Woodham Designer Homes, offering a full architectural design service. T T Sue Russell Woodham Building BUILDING Morrinsville-based Woodham Building Ltd and Woodham Designer Homes Ltd have been in existence 16 years now, catering mainly for high end residential new builds and renovations and light commercial projects. The building team consists Sam Woodham, two apprentices and a qualified builder. Sam is on the tools and onsite as much as possible to ensure the standard of work from everyone involved is completed to a high standard. “With our size it’s me dealing with the client, procuring work, quoting, swinging a hammer and working with the team. It works well to operate this way as the customer knows who they are dealing with and I can be assured our high standards of work are maintained throughout every project,” says Sam. Asked about the geographic zone he and the team work across, Sam says while based in Morrinsville, there has been significant work done in Cambridge, a town growing in leaps and bounds along with work in Hamilton, and on the western bays of Taupo. “We’re steady is how I best describe our market at the moment. This year is going to be a grind, but I’m pleased to see that enquiries are slowly picking up. I think we’ll see good momentum hopefully later this year and into next.” Sam’s also undertaking some labour-only work for Iconic Construction, constructing apartments in Lake Road, Hamilton. A large exciting development, it’s really good having the ability in the current construction environment to diverse and work alongside the likes of Johnny and Mike at Iconic. If there’s one message he would like to stress to clients it’s there’s no better time to be engaging a builder than now. Interest rates will come back but material costs won’t! “Costs on materials will continue to increase and this is still continuing to happen regardless of what you see in the media!” Alongside the building entity, Sam also runs Woodham Designer Homes, offering a full architectural design service. He uses the services of Ambience Architecture Ltd, based in Welcome Bay, Tauranga and concept renders of homes are available for viewers on the company’s website. “Scott from Ambience and I will work through the entire process from a sketch to consent. He has an amazing ability to create homes for our clients and nails the design brief every time.” Sam’s two apprentices, Josh, in his third year and Grant, in his second, are progressing well through their training. “The team is amazing and in the current climate have adapted extremely well to the diverse work presented. It’s not all glory Architectural projects and I think this is a wealth of knowledge that they will utilise throughout their careers for many years to come.” Asked to comment on the apprenticeship pathway these days, Sam says the system has changed considerably since his time. “It’s probably a bit easier for the young people to come through. Technology has improved so much in such a short period of time. The apprentice can take photos and upload them to an app and go at their own pace. Information can be googled and sourced in seconds rather than looking through literature. I do think, however, that there could be more government support to encourage more people to get into the industry. Building gives you a fantastic variety of skills and knowledge! It is a very underrated qualification.” Having said that, Sam also understands there’s a balance to be found in ensuring an apprentice is keeping up with their learning well and progressing as this builds the kind of work ethic that a person needs to really become a successful builder, or even one day own their own business. “I’m like the nagging parent about homework making sure the team is staying on top of their study!” Asked to describe a special project, Sam says he has recently completed one very big job. “It was a really amazing project through Woodham Designer Homes and is a true credit to Scott from Ambience Architecture and the clients. Both had a very clear vision of what they wanted and I was engaged to ensure they received a premium product. The final result is a radiant family home located on the outskirts of Morrinsville.” The home is a sleek mono pitch, 346m2 of pure class featuring polished block and James Hardie cladding, high raking living room ceilings and alfresco area to match. Polished block also features internally throughout the entry and hallway creating an overwhelming entrance to the home. The home is complemented with a 114m2 self-contained garage that looks the same as the main dwelling. Woodham Designer Homes has a range of plans, in both contemporary and more traditional options. They provide clients with ideas and a good starting point for their new home. “It means clients can pick and choose between the concepts to really get something bespoke that works perfectly for them..” We’ve found they have appreciated these plans as a starting point in the design process towards creating their dream home.” 153 Thames Street, Morrinsville • 07 889 5298 Hartley Tiling are proud to work alongside Woodham Builders
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