126 | T T Virginia Wright From renos to architectural builds Brook Carr Building Ltd BUILDING Having grown up in South Otago and left dairy farming behind to do his building apprenticeship Brook Carr moved to Cromwell 12 years ago with his wife Jordan. He set up his family-owned company, Brook Carr Building Ltd., a couple of years later. The business has steadily grown and today Brook employs six builders to keep up with the workload, taking jobs throughout Central Otago. They’re happy to take on anything from renovations to bespoke high-end architectural builds. One of their more recent jobs combined the best of both worlds as they worked to modernise a building that dips directly into Cromwell’s history, now called the Harvest Hotel. “It was built in 1987 and was part of the Think Big project which moved the town from old Cromwell up to where it is now before the dam was flooded in 1992,” explains Brook. The Gate Bar, Restaurant and Accommodation as they were called then were located close to the purpose-built mall which replaced the original retail district in the old town. In 2016 the bar was renovated and renamed The Five Stags. In 2022 Brook Carr Building was brought into the early planning conversations around the renovation of the restaurant, reception and office block. Having already spent time working with the architect and interior designers, the owners were ready for the practical input that comes from having plans assessed for buildability. “Especially in terms of how things were laid out and timeframes with the budget in mind, because obviously cost is a major factor in these bigger projects,” explains Brook. The build itself began in early 2023. The new part of the building, the extension, was only a small part of the overall project. 90% of the job involved gutting the original restaurant, office block, dining room and reception before undertaking the rebuild to bring the restaurant into the 21st century with an eye to the future. While the renovation had been carefully planned, they are by nature subject to change as the original building reveals itself. Brook and his team worked closely with the architect, structural engineer and owner to ensure everything worked, while keeping the design to the forefront. “Glenn Christiansen who’s the manager of the Gate has done these sorts of projects before so he knew what he was in for and understood the process which really helped,” says Brook. Considerable structural work was done seismically and to bring the building up to code. The earthquake-friendly steel framing was finished with cedar soffit linings and classic Central Otago stonework, while single glazed timber windows gave way to their powdercoated, aluminium, double-glazed replacements. While rearranging the interior layout to bring it up to date and make it user-friendly they introduced a beautiful, more formal covered entryway designed to make customers feel welcome on arrival. Brook had total confidence in the sub-contractors who came in having worked closely with them over many years. Bespoke design features such as using recycled, reclaimed oak wall linings, and the fibre-glass panels made to look like pre-cast concrete walls required careful work. “They’re really cool but they were quite difficult and we had to cut very carefully to make sure they fit perfectly,” says Brook. Nine months later the renovation was complete thanks to the combined efforts of Brook Carr Building, the sub-contractors, and the rest of the team whose expertise made it possible. “It was great to be part of a big project that’s in the community and which the community use,” says Brook. He enjoys seeing people coming and going from the restaurant, just as he enjoys driving past one of his renovations, or one of the bespoke houses he and his team have built over the last decade. P: (03) 445 0305 16 Wolter Cres, Cromwell E: central@designwindows.co.nz W: www.designwindows.co.nz Proud Supplier for Brook Carr Building Ltd NZRAB Registered Architect • NZIA Member Proudly supporting Brook Carr Building Ltd 021 108 2764 | jessie@sastudio.co.nz www.sastudio.co.nz
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