Business South August 2020

82 | Volume 29 | Issue 4 businesssouth P: 03 365 8400 E: admin@alexanders.net.nz W: www.alexanders.net.nz We help you win in agribusiness. At Alexanders, we specialise in agribusiness. It’s what we do. It’s what we’re recognised for. As a leading agribusiness advisor, we are across all developments in the farming and accounting industries. Alexanders are proud to work alongside James McConachie Builders Residential & Commercial Landscape Design www. xteriorscapes.nz ( RIÀFH#[WHULRUVFDSHV Q] 7 0 0508TEMPFENCE are one of Christchurch’s leading Temporary Fencing companies. We pride ourselves on our Quality, Service and Product. We now offer FRESH WATER PORT-A-LOOS semi-permanent fencing and anti-tampering systems! Contact us today for Great Rates and Service! christchurch@0508tempfence.co.nz 0508 836 733 www.0508tempfence.co.nz 0508 Proud to support James McConachie Builders BUILDING - CHRISTCHURCH » James McConachie Builders Making beautiful design a reality This single storey home has been designed for extensive open plan living and superior energy efficiency. Km Newth C hristchurch builder James McConachie is one of the city’s true artisans, strongly committed to his craft and an ethos of building sustain- ably and responsibly. His young company, James McConachie Builders, has a budding reputation for delivering consistently high standards of workmanship, caring for clients and using environmentally sustainable building methods and practices. An exciting project for his team in 2020 is a substantial new residential home in rural north Christchurch. The clients’ lifestyle informed the brief for a single storey home with extensive open plan living and superior energy efficiency. On track to be completed in early 2021, the home incorporates many beautiful architectural features that reflect the carefully considered bespoke design by South Architects. Clad using an Integra panel system, broken with dark-stained cedar, and designed with in-slab heating and thermally efficient glazing throughout, this home is on track to be a high achiever both for appearance and function. “From above, the house as a whole resembles an upper case ‘H’ with patio and alfresco dining areas in the outdoor alcoves created by that shape,” James says. “The kitchen, oriented north-south, flows through to a nice dining area with a north-west wing off that. A double-sided gas fire connects the two ar- eas, with embedded lighting in the dividing space.” A stand-out feature will be a pop-up cranked roof above the kitchen, designed using zinc tray and finished with distinctive angles. Made in Italy, this shiny dome-like feature will be a real focal point for guests arriving at the front entry. “From a construction perspective, we had to consider the dimensions of that roof from the start. “The joinery had to be marked out on the ground and plumbing installed up to the next level and pitched rafters off that. “It is possibly some of the nicest carpentry I’ve ever worked with and the end result will be abso- lutely stunning.” One of the big drivers for James, in setting up his own building company, was a desire to build a bet- ter future and put in place effective on-site waste management processes. Eventually, he hopes the whole industry will move in that direction and adopt more sustainable practices. “Construction waste is one of the leading con- tributors to landfill and yet it’s so easy to manage on site by collecting recyclable materials like metal, glass and cardboard. “We put magnets on the end of brooms and sweep up at the end of the week – it’s amazing how many wasted nails we get from that. We prob- ably save well over a skip of construction waste on a standard house build.” James mostly works on residential projects but has also completed commercial builds, such as a Christchurch motel complex on Bealey Ave. Every project benefits from his expertise in crafted carpentry, as well as his flair for managing and organising other sub-trades. While James sees an inevitable slowdown ahead next year as a result of the global pandemic, he says the local economy continues to hold steady. “We’re in a great position through to mid-2021.” ‘Building for a better future’ is an inspiring aspi- ration, one that many will find compelling in today’s increasingly environmentally conscious housing market.