An ex-All Black and the War Birds singers attended three Registered Master Builders 2007 House of the Year and RMB Commercial Project Awards gala dinners but, ultimately, the local builders were the stars of the night.
Sponsored by PlaceMakers, the first of 19 local awards nights kicked off last month in Gisborne, Tauranga and Hawke’s Bay.
Gisborne
At the Bushmere Arms in Gisborne, Peter Stevens, managing director of D Stevens Builders took out the PlaceMakers Supreme Award and the RMB Commercial Project of the Year.
D Stevens Builders won the House of the Year supreme title for a Wainui Beach property in the New Home $600,000 to $1 million category. Upon recieving the award, Mr Stevens dedicated it to his site foreman Keith Wells, who died of cancer earlier this year.
D Stevens Builders’ construction of the Graham and Dobson offices, entered in the Retail and Business Project Award category, was given the top Commercial award.
Having entered eight properties in the national House of the Year awards since 1996 — and winning top awards twice — Mr Stevens seems to have the magic touch, which he partly attributes to being a perfectionist.
The Gisborne awards night was enjoyed by all who attended — from the table games during the dinner break to the entertainment performed by the War Birds singers (who do a great Andrews Sisters impersonation).
Tauranga
It was first-time entrant Shaw Builders who took out the 2007 PlaceMakers Supreme Award for a new home at Papamoa, entered in the over $1 million category.Shaw Builders has been a Registered Master Builder for only three years, and the company was delighted to have scooped the top residential prize in its region.
In his acceptance speech David Shaw acknowledged his wife, who he described as “his rock”, and dedicated the award to his father who had passed away a week earlier.
It was the Papamoa Library and Service Centre, entered into the Education Project category, which most impressed the commercial judges for the RMB Commercial Project of the Year.
The library was built by Mainzeal Property & Construction.
Hawke’s Bay
Ex-All Black Eric Rush compered the Hawke’s Bay awards gala at the War Memorial Centre in Napier. The PlaceMakers Supreme Award was taken out by Welch Builders and Construction for a new home that sits high on a hill in Havelock North, entered in the $600,000 to $1 million category.
The RMB Commercial Project of the Year went to Gemco Construction for its construction of a new building at Napier Girls High School. The Hague Building, as it is known, was entered in the Education Project category.
