72 | Expressing a better living environment Richard Loader A key goal for the four-bedroom family home was to design one of the most thermally efficient homes for its size in the district. BUILDING House of The Year Awards: Swann Building A decade in the making - allowing time to research construction ideas that would express a better living environment for a family of five - Swann Building (2004) Ltd has earned Silver at the 2021 Mid and South Canterbury Master Builders House of the Year Awards. Taking pride of place in a rural lifestyle setting overlooking the Hunter Hills in Waimate, the large country style home was completed two years ago and entered into the Builders Own Home category at this year’s awards. Home owner and company Managing Director Vaughan Swann says the most important requirements of the home were finding a cost effective way to minimise air leakage and the use of a balanced ventilation system that makes the home so much more liveable and healthy for his family. A key goal for the four-bedroom family home was to design one of the most thermally efficient homes for its size in the district. With that in mind, considerable effort was invested into ensuring the 336sqm home was as airtight as possible. Storm-water storage, robust materials, a light-coloured roof, insulated garage doors and internal walls, and consideration of size and placement of windows have all enhanced thermal efficiency. “While the home is two thirds of what a passive home would be, it performs very well for our Mid-Canterbury climate,” says Vaughan. “The home can stay within a range of 18-25C degrees all year round, while only burning five cubic metres of wood.” A second storey has been built into the roofline that contains two bedrooms and a bathroom. Vaughan says his favourite room is the large and quite grand entranceway. “There’s a lot of detail in that area. “There’s a full height section with two skylights and a landing upstairs to the other bedrooms.” In 2009 Swann Building achieved debut success at the South Canterbury House of the year awards, winning the Supreme Award for a new home in Hakataramea, near Kurow. “I was just a young builder and while I probably didn’t realise it at the time, for me to enter a competition like that and get the top award first time was pretty amazing. “The family we built the home for put a lot of trust in us. “They were a hard working farming family and to see them in a new home that achieved a good award was pretty cool.” While Vaughan likes the quality of his work to speak for itself, he says entering the Master Builders awards provides a wonderful opportunity to benchmark his company against the country’s best builders and his mentors. Established 17 years ago by Vaughan and his wife Leanne, Swann Building undertakes a wide variety of projects from fitting a door handle through to building new home with the majority of work undertaken in the rural community of Waimate. Vaughan’s working career actually started in the furniture building industry where he learned the art of attention to detail and quality craftsmanship, appropriate for the project. After 12 years crafting furniture, cheaper imported products impacted on the industry and Vaughan retrained as a builder, bringing with him the skills learned previously and an eye for detail. Reflecting on his twenty years as a builder/ craftsman Vaughan says working with his clients to help them achieve their dream and goals has been a key to success. “Seeing our clients happy with the finished product gives us a great sense of achievement,” he says. “Communication is also big part of a successful outcome. “Our customers put a lot of trust in us to bring their goals and dreams to life and we need to keep talking to them as the project progresses.” “There’s a lot of detail in that area. There’s a full height section with two skylights and a landing upstairs to the other bedrooms.” Proud to supply Swann Building with their mechanical heat recovery system www.theheatingcompany.co.nz Knowing what’s best in the long run Canterbury Long Run Roo ng Timaru combines extensive local expertise and exceptional service with a broad and innovative product range, enabling you to enjoy the bene ts of best practical solutions and purchasing power. The team is predominantly a manufacturing supplier for new roofs, reroofs, sheds, factories, fencing etc but also o er free measure/quotes, take o s & professional advice services. Canterbury Long Run Roo ng has your roo ng/cladding completely covered - from‘top to bottom’. • For all your Pre-cut & Pre-nail Framing • Rafter Truss Systems • Pryda Floor Trusses • Flitch Beams • Roof Trusses 03 688 2988 | aorakiframe@xtra.co.nz | aorakiframeandtruss.co.nz | Washdyke Flat Road, Timaru
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