Millbrook home up for top honours

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Arrowtown-based company AJ Saville Builder Ltd is up for top honours once again for a $1 million-plus home at the five-star Millbrook Resort.

 

Allister Saville is a Gold Reserve National Finalist in the Registered Master Builders PlaceMakers 2007 House of the Year for his character-filled home for the Hourigan and Hill families from Wellington.

 

Mr Saville describes this year’s entry as “a tradesman house that demanded real workmanship”, using lots of exposed and rustic timber and old bridge beams sourced from Australia.

 


Lots of time and patience

“This house required lots of time and patience,” he says.

 

The character of the home was strongly based on the history of the area, Mr Saville says, where the architecture and the landscape expressed a rural tranquility and held a strong connection to traditional designs in place at Millbrook, Arrowtown and Central Otago.

 

“This house is a true representation of country living in 2007,” he says.

 

“It is focused around a common theme that integrates traditional chimneys, timber and stone-clad separate areas, and cedar window and door proportions that leave an impression of architecture that blends into its surroundings.

 


Strong bias to the past

“Internal patterned textures of stone, steel, granite and timber combine true contemporary living, but with a strong bias to the past. Consistent tree planting, rock walling, garden colour, wall and paving elements all continue the Millbrook landscape tradition.”

 

Architect Haden Emslie ensured the house opened up towards the golf course, celebrating the open rolling character of the landscape, and avoiding an “urban” appearance.

 

Mr Saville is one of Millbrook’s regular builders who has built 12 homes at the award-winning resort in the past six years, and will be working on homes in the planned Millbrook West development.

 

He has been a regional finalist nine times since 1999 and a national finalist four times.

 

Millbrook property and development manager Ben O’Malley says the resort is delighted to have a builder of Mr Saville’s standing working there.

 

“Even though the design guidelines are relatively restrictive at Millbrook to ensure consistency in standards, the fact that Allister’s work consistently rates among the best in the country proves that he, and the architects, can work within those boundaries to create timeless and striking buildings.”

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