98 | BUILDING C Marshall Builders T T Russell Fredric Small business big on experience SIPs ‘a better result’ T T Kelly Deeks Dimension Construction Specialising in energy efficient and passive housing, Christchurch’s Dimension Construction has discovered the benefits of structural insulated panels (SIPs) to quickly and easily deliver beautiful, high performance, eco-friendly homes with unparalleled levels of comfort. SIPs are high performing, thermally efficient composite panels that comprise two layers of approved structural board with an insulating layer of foam in between. These panels replace conventional framing and are used as walls, roofs, and floors, providing bracing, insulation, and interior lining, and the ultimate building envelope for maximum comfort and energy efficiency. Dimension Construction has already used SIPs on several projects and is keen to do more, as well as other energy efficient methods of construction. As well as SIPs, the company is becoming well-versed with INTELLO wrap and other Pro Clima products which can also be used with traditional timber framed construction. “The way we’re building with these products is so much better,” says Dimension Construction owner Nikhil Dayaram. “We should all be doing it. SIPS are so quick to put up, especially using the prenail option, Bespoke new builds, complex renovations and minor maintenance are all in a day’s work for C Marshall Builders. The Dunedin-based company was established by Craig and Jess Marshall nine years ago and continues as a small business with a big heart with a team of four including Craig, who love to help their clients’ building dreams come true. Craig has 25 years experience as a builder, while Jess works in the business handling accounts, wages and administration. C Marshall Builders clients have enthusiastically testified to the quality of workmanship and attention to detail, project management and great communication across a variety of projects. Craig and his team are not shy in tackling significant renovations, such as a well-aged Dunedin weatherboard villa that was completely gutted and had a full interior rebuild, a challenge they have really enjoyed, Craig says. “It’s pretty much a whole new house. We did it in two stages because they were living there. We moved a lot of walls around and changed the layout of the house as well, put in new windows and some windows were changed to ranchsliders.” Its rimu timber floors were able to be retained and beautifully polished to become a special feature and contribute to an “awesome” result, Craig says. “Renovations I find are not as easy as a new build, you have to think a bit more so it is quite good in that way.” Bathroom and kitchen renovations are popular options to improve a house while adding value and functionality, he says. “You can use a lot of products and they look a lot nicer.” and we can basically go from a concrete slab to a weathertight roofed home in one week.” The speed of construction for these far better performing, well structured homes translates quickly into savings on-site for the builder and the home owner, and Nikhil says the cost of SIPs is now just about on a par with traditional construction methods. SIPs have been widely used in homes and buildings in the US, UK, and Europe for several decades, and are becoming more known in New Zealand as our new home builders see the results. “If you want to go down the energy efficient passive route, SIPs are the way to deliver a much better result than traditional framing,” Nikhil says. Nikhil has been building architectural homes in Canterbury for more than a decade, and started Dimension Construction in 2018. With the support of his former employer, Nikhil initially grew his company with some interesting labour only contracts including the builds of 70 three-storey units in Wigram and the luxury wilderness retreat Flockhill Lodge at Flockhill Station near Arthur’s Pass. With its target market identified, Dimension Construction has rapidly grown to a team of eight during the past couple of years, as demand for passive and energy efficient homes starts to become the norm in the industry. Having a good team along with sub-trades who are committed to their craft and the company’s clients is key to achieving good results. “We all work along and make it work, make the timelines happen and that’s a great thing.” Although Craig has noticed a reduction in the enquiry rate due to the current economy, C Marshall Builders workload remains steady. He and Jess have been enjoying living in their first new house in an enviable location perched on an elevated site overlooking Otago Harbour. Built to accommodate the needs of themselves and their two children and with a footprint of 205 square metres, it has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two car garage and many nicely finessed materials and design elements. Light, bright and spacious, the lounge, kitchen and dining area is within a gabled pavilion with full height windows on the harbour side. The high ceiling has oak panelling with negative detailing and two skylights for maximum light and natural ambience, while the polished concrete floor, inspired by a previous build for a client, adds natural texture. Jess put her stamp on the heart of the home which has a butler’s pantry, a kitchen that is spacious, functional and pleasing to the eye, especially with the mix of warm and cool colours and the variety of materials. These include vertical finger tiles and timber shelving above the range, Alabaster lightgreen cabinetry and some dark accents. The house’s elevated wrap-around timber deck provides a generous outdoor space for enjoying the ever changing kaleidoscope of harbour views and ever changing light and weather patterns and is landscaped below with tussocks on the sloping frontage to the street. 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