This year we are celebrating 30 Years of House of the Year! Over the next few months we are going to be shining a light on some of the people who have played a massive part in the competition. Keep an eye out on our channels as our members share some of their best memories as a builder.

DStevens

"When I was 3 years’ old, I would often skip kindergarten to go to work with my father Derek who was a builder (and is the late founder of DStevens). His experience and skill were inspiring and gave me such a passion for the built environment. I was passionate about drawing plans and always thought I would become an architect. But I liked working with my hands and was excited about the varied sites I could work on as a builder, so decided to follow a path into the trades.

Buildings are tangible. There is a great joy in seeing a concept become a completed building. The impact of well-designed and high-quality buildings on the well-being of the people who occupy and interact with them cannot be undervalued. It is a special thing to be trusted to take someone on that journey through a build.

Over the decades, we have been privileged to work on many remarkable projects that helped shape our community. Recently, we have just completed a new house that was built off-site in two halves at our workshop, then transported to site and assembled into a two-storey house. It was an innovative build that allowed our team to test new methods and techniques. We are always looking at ways to be innovative with construction techniques and the use of materials. I like developing systems and methodologies that can improve the building process.

Our first entry to the House of the Year was 1996 where DStevens was awarded a National Gold award for a new home built in Whataupoko, Gisborne. In 2002, we won five local Gold awards and were crowned the National Gold winner for renovations over $100,000. Five years later, we were awarded Gold in two categories and was presented with local Supreme Awards for their two projects entered in the residential and commercial categories.

In 2014, DStevens had further success as a national gold finalist in the residential and renovation categories.

Over the last 24 years we have been honoured with more than 65 local and national awards for their buildings, including the two local Supreme Awards. We don’t build in the pursuit of awards, but we’re proud of what these honours signify: a commitment to built excellence and a testament to the efforts of our team." Peter Stevens, DStevens Limited