108 | Jono Blakely Builders BUILDING Proudly supporting Jono Blakely Builders 147 Blenheim Road, Christchurch Deal directly with the owner Competitive pricing guaranteed Specialists in all your house joinery Commercial Joinery Fit-outs PROUD TO SUPPORT JONO BLAKELY BUILDERS 253 Lincoln Road, Addington. www.towerkitchens.co.nz ph - 03 3387846 | email: grant@towerjoinery.co.nz Hill-site experience an asset for clients The home combines Western red cedar with architectural metal tray roofing, with wide spans leading to the front door and a feature fence incorporating cedar fins. T T Kelly Deeks “If we can get the site, the design, and the numbers right from the start, then we can build a home that works for the client and the place it sits in.” Steep sites are where Jono Blakely Builders sees an opportunity rather than a limitation, with the Christchurch company bringing practical construction expertise to architectural homes where careful planning can make the difference between a workable design and an expensive compromise. Jono Blakely says his experience on Christchurch’s hills means he can contribute before construction begins, working with architects and clients to make sure designs respond to the site, brief, and budget. That thinking shaped a recent project at Sasaram Lane in Cashmere, a home Jono built to sell after finding a steep section that had remained undeveloped through three previous owners. The steep site falls sharply from the right of way, with no naturally flat building area, creating the cost pressures that make hillside projects challenging. Jono worked closely with architect, Jody, from Hall Architecture, while he and his wife helped develop the floor plan and assess decisions. The brief called for four bedrooms, two living areas, an office, three-car garaging, and strong indoor/outdoor flow, while the site presented competing demands for views and sun. “The site is facing southeast to the views, but your sun is coming from the north,” Jono says. “We had to build for the views on one side and the sun on the other.” The home combines Western red cedar with architectural metal tray roofing, with wide spans leading to the front door and a feature fence incorporating cedar fins. Inside, the entry opens to a generous entertainer’s kitchen and living area, while outdoor entertaining sits to the north to capture the sun. Despite the steep setting, the home includes a lawn and three-car garage, with careful planning creating connected levels. Jono says helping clients visualise a design is an important part of the process, particularly when rooms can appear to change size as construction progresses. His team will sometimes mark out proposed floor plans in chalk so clients can walk through the spaces before work begins. He also encourages clients to visit the site regularly, believing the building process should be exciting rather than stressful, especially when it is a major commitment. Jono has 13 years’ industry experience, including one-on-one, multi-disciplinary training during his apprenticeship, then time with a high-end architectural builder, plus he studied quantity surveying and construction management at night school during his apprenticeship. Now five years into his own business, Jono has four full-time employees and several contractors. He wants to grow, but not at the expense of not remaining on the tools or losing the family feel of the business. The Sasaram Lane project sold within six weeks, reinforcing the appeal of a well-considered architectural home in a challenging location. For Jono, the project captures the approach he wants to bring to every build: understand the site, understand the client, and work through the numbers early so design and construction can move forward with confidence. “If we can get the site, the design, and the numbers right from the start, then we can build a home that works for the client and the place it sits in.”
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