80 | Central Otago: Primevue Construction BUILDING Kelly Deeks Adapting to circumstance is key The high-performing, thermally efficient SIPs means the McCullough’s home at the foot of the Remarkables stays cosy and warm. Primevue is using alternative products to alleviate materials shortages and delays. New Zealand builders are playing a key role in alleviating housing shortages across the regions, as they expand their range of services to pick up the slack in the subtrades space and ensure projects can move forward in good time. Queenstown construction and project management firm Primevue started noticing a shortage of subtrades and the consequential programme delays in the middle of 2021. Owner Blair McCullough says as a Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) he is licensed to undertake roofing, so Primevue started to offer this service in-house, speeding up its processes as well as keeping projects moving. “The guys are always keen to learn new things, so we are picking up the slack,” he says. “We can do it to a very high standard.” Primevue has always built its own slabs, and is now also carrying out earthworks since Blair bought a truck and digger mid-year, as well as steel tying and boxing for slab prep. More opportunities exist for Primevue to further diversify its range of services, and Blair is particularly keen on getting into waterproofing and block-laying which would require more training and qualifications for the team. Primevue is also accelerating its projects with the use of alternative products to alleviate materials shortages and delays. “We can’t get gib so we’re using things saveBOARD, a high-performing, low carbon material made in New Zealand out of recycled coffee cups. saveBOARD performs as well as gib and has better bracing ability. We do have a bit more work to do on finishing, but instead of waiting for six to nine months for gib, we had saveBOARD delivered to Queenstown from the North Island in five days.” Some clients are really keen to use this alternative and sustainable material, and Blair and his wife Jess have recently used saveBOARD in their own new Formance SIPs panel home at Hanley’s Farm, Jack’s Point, which they offer as a show home for potential clients to see and feel the difference of a Primevue home. “All of the houses at Hanley’s Farm look very much the same from the street, but ours looks totally different, with a feature entrance way and different cladding,” Blair says. “We’ve got exposed SIPs panels on the interior, and a black ceiling in the hallway and lounge.” The high-performing, thermally efficient SIPs means the McCullough’s home at the foot of the Remarkables stays cosy and warm. “We’ve had a couple of nights that were 3° overnight and we still had the windows open.” Blair and Jess have included a ducted heat pump/ventilation system that filters in fresh air, and an underfloor heating system run by a heat pump that also heats hot water for the home. “The heat pump is really efficient. There aren’t many people doing that around here unless it’s a really high-end home, so we wanted to show people what they could actually achieve in their own new home.” This home is Blair and Jess’s third new home, with the couple actually starting Primevue in 2018 after being involved with the build of their first. They provide their service from a position of understanding what the client wants and how building sites work, and they operate a hands-on approach with clear communication, realistic timelines, and solid bookings. Blair sees a great future for the building industry in Queenstown and plenty of opportunity for Primevue to grow, depending on the availability of additional builders. Primevue is at its best while working on steep and tricky sites or homes with a high level of detail. “We have a wealth of experience and we love being able to use it. We definitely enjoy doing projects that present some sort of challenge.” Scaffolding Specialists 027 562 3212 | www.excelscaffolding.co.nz Choose Excel Scaffolding to meet your scaffolding needs. No job too big or too small.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=