Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast Region’s top builds announced - 23 July 2016

A Nelson home and a Blenheim renovation have been announced as this year’s finest Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast homes, winning Supreme Awards in the Nelson Marlborough West Coast Registered Master Builders 2016 House of the Year competition.

Harris Builders won five regional awards with the Nelson home, including the Nelson Marlborough West Coast Registered Master Builders 2016 Supreme House of the Year, a Gold Award and Category win for the New Home over $2 million award. The company also won the Craftsmanship Award and the Outdoor Living Award for the same property.

George Guthrie Construction was awarded the Nelson Marlborough West Coast Registered Master Builders 2016 Supreme Renovation of the Year, a Gold Award and Category win for the Renovation Award $250,000 - $500,000.

Judges said the winning Nelson home encompassed great attention to detail and workmanship creating an outstanding family home and studio.

“Positioned in the middle of a vineyard, this home stretches elegantly along the hillside with its 60 metre frontage absorbing the expansive view.

“The architect’s complex design required supreme accuracy. The build featured an extensive amount of concrete work and concealed steel structures which supported the floating cantilevered roof structures and fully glazed windows. The heavily detailed bespoke interior features add to the complexity of the build.”

Judges called the winning Blenheim renovation, this a clever architectural transformation and an overwhelming credit deserved to the builder, architect and artistic home owner.

“This renovation converted an existing 1970’s double garage into an art studio, attached to a fully functional one bedroom contemporary home for the live-in artist.

“A clever use of materials showed that the budget didn’t limit quality, form or function. The use of recycled rimu vertical boarding, staggered painted brick veneer, sharp black aluminium, joinery and a cleverly angled sloping roof provides the basis for this striking transformation. This was an extremely well-crafted renovation, with attention paid to the small details.”

The results of the regional competition were revealed at a gala dinner on 23 July at the Rutherford Hotel in Nelson. The winning builds were celebrated by members of the Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast Registered Master Builders Association and members of the local construction industry.

There were 8 Gold Award winners from Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast which will now be judged against Gold Award winners from around the country to find the National Gold Reserve finalists.

National category winners and the Registered Master Builders Supreme Awards for the 2016 House of the Year and Renovation of the Year will be announced at a gala dinner on 26 November at The Langham in Auckland.

The Awards are made possible through the support of PlaceMakers, Master Build Services, GIB, Nulook, Future-Proof Building, Carters, Plumbing World, Resene and Bunnings Trade.

View photographs of the winning properties here.

About the Registered Master Builders 2016 House of the Year

The competition is divided into two parts – the first is at a regional level, the second at a national level. Gold, Silver and Bronze Award winners are determined using a points-based system. These award-winners are announced at 10 regional events held throughout New Zealand during July and August.

The top local Gold Award winners become Gold Reserve National Finalists. The national finalists are then re-judged by a panel of judges who determine the overall national winners, which are announced at the National event in Auckland on 26 November.