96 | BUILDING Third Little Pig Homes T T Ange Davidson Architectural builds a passion for Zac The reimagined Kiwi bach at Taieri Mouth earned Zac numerous accolades including the 2019 Southern Registered Master Builders Gold Award and the National House of the Year winner in the Builder’s Own Home category. Just like the third little pig, Zac Williams builds homes that last. While these may not always be built of brick, they will be bespoke architectural builds. Owner of Third Little Pig Homes, Zac has developed a niche market in working for architects on high end builds in the Dunedin and surrounding area. “It’s very labour-intensive work and we will be on a project for 12-18 months. We only do one build at a time and there’s always another project in the pipeline,” says Zac. “My interest is in architectural work as there is generally a lot of passion for the project from the clients who are building their dream home. “They have often built new before and this is their last project so the clients know what they’re doing and what my role is.” A lot of water has gone under the bridge before Zac and his crew of two pick up tools. A new build may be several years in the drawing and consenting stage. “We’ve just finished an 800sqm house in East Taieri designed by Johnston Architects that has taken 18 months’ work. “We’re now just waiting for our next one to come out of council. We get to have a break knowing a project is coming up,” says Zac. Zac started Third Little Pig in 2014 after apprenticing with John Oskam who specialised in high end builds. Zac has now taken on his own apprentice to give a young person the same opportunity. “Architectural builds are the best part of the industry in my opinion as clients are always really grateful and interested in the build. “They’re really wowed when they see a concept become a reality and they finally see the scale of the build. “We are always in conversation with our clients and there’s a lot of ebb and flow about how things are going to look. “Sometimes you need to be hard lined about some of the small changes that they want to make, like swapping out tiles, as we want to keep them on track with the architect’s vision. “We can see the big picture and what the architect is trying to do,” he says. “It’s a relatively stable market as the people building high end homes have already established the cost per square metre with the architect and they know what it’s going to cost them by the time they get to me. “As a result, they are not so affected by rising interest rates and price increases.” Zac works with a number of architectural firms and while he can often see a cheaper vistalite W I N D O W S & D O O R S ® • Residential • Commercial • Home Automation • Audio Visual • Heating & Ventilation House site preparation • Driveways • Metal and soil cartage Water delivery • Section clearing • Hedge removals • Digger Hire Phone 027 4811 027 | 141 Big Stone Road, Brighton, Dunedin Proud to be working with Third Little Pig Homes way to build, he will stick to the architect’s drawings. “The client has gone to that particular architect because they like their work. Each architect has their style, it’s their DNA and you don’t want to be changing that about.” Zac prefers to work with small sub-contractors for the trades as they are generally easier to get on board and provide a better service. One or two person contractors are often more cost effective as they’re not running offices or vans. “They’ve got to be interested as our builds are usually high tech smart homes that are big on integration. “ One light switch can control lighting, temperature, blinds, and appliances, or it may be that the lights and the TV are activated as you come through the front gate,” he says. One of Zac’s builds featured on Grand Designs NZ and earned him numerous accolades including the 2019 Southern Registered Master Builders Gold Award and the National House of the Year winner in the Builder’s Own Home category. Designed by Johnston Architects, the 144sqm house is a reimagined kiwi bach perched on the sand dunes overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Tairei Mouth. “It’s a relatively stable market as the people building high end homes have already established the cost per square metre with the architect and they know what it’s going to cost them by the time they get to me.”
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