Business South March 2021

| 99 Canterbury - Browntown Builders Browntown Builders’ award-winning renovation of this two-storey weatherboard ex-state house in Lyttelton. Young firmmaking its mark in Chch BUILDING A strong opening for Christchurch’s Browntown Builders - where the four- year-old company’s first big project took out four House of the Year 2020 awards and several architectural awards - has set the fledgling building company on a firm footing to apply high standards and strict quality con- trol to high end architectural projects. Browntown Builders owner Jamie Brown was taken on by his rugby coach to renovate a two-storey weatherboard ex-state house in Lyttelton. “The owners really wanted to keep the look of the front of the home,” Jamie says. “There are three or four ex-state houses on the same street, all painted in bright colours, and they wanted to keep them the same. “So we fully renovated the existing lower and upper floor layout and added a third-floor extension to the back of the property.” Designed by Michael O’Sullivan of Bull O’Sullivan Architecture, the renovation has refreshed the home and given it magnificent views across Lyttelton harbour and beyond from the open plan kitchen/dining/living room on the third storey. Plenty of glazing and a built in window seat facilitate enjoyment of the outlook, while the timber lined interior enhances the décor in the room, including the green and yellow kitchen cabinetry, a nod to the bright colours seen from the street. Large glass sliders in the living area and all the new windows are trimmed in yellow. Jamie completed the project with one em- ployee and the homeowner, who took time off from work to help out. Browntown Builders worked to tight tol- erances on the high end renovation project, especially the ply interior walls which had 1mm negative detail. “We used a little nail as our tolerance, everything had to be bang on,” Jamie says. “It was a good start for us in Lyttelton, and now we’re working like that all the time.” In the House of the Year competition, the Lyttelton project won its regional category of renovations $500,000 to $1 million and the supreme category award, a gold award, and was named in the top 100 of the competition’s 359 entries across all categories. Kelly Deeks Jamie says he and Browntown Builders have never done anything like it before. He says the Lyttelton project sparked his interest in high end architectural builds and his aspiration to produce happy architects and happy clients. Now grown to a team of six, Browntown Builders is working in Riccarton on another first for both Jamie and the company, which is building two side-by-side townhouses designed by Bryce Monk from Threefold Architecture. “We used a little nail as our tolerance, everything had to be bang on..... It was a good start for us in Lyttelton, and now we’re working like that all the time.” “They fit in well to the small site, they’re nice and roomy with extra high door openings on the lower levels making them feel open and spacious.” With construction nearing completion, Browntown Builders’ high standards and strict quality control has allowed everything to turn out exactly right. “We are all enjoying these projects that are a bit more challenging, with strong satisfac- tion from pulling all the details into action from a piece of paper.” Kitchens • Vanity units • Wardrobe fit-outs • All Other Joinery Competitive Prices • See Our Showroom 03 358 4900 info@creativejoinery.co.nz Unit 1, 7 Homersham Place, Burnside, Christchurch www.creativejoinery.co.nz Hagley Kitchens is a leader in the design, manufacture and supply of kitchens, wardrobes and office joinery. With our help, your kitchen vision can be something stunning! hagleykitchens.co.nz 03 313 6699 NOW IN NORTH CANTERBURY