Harry and Karen van der Putten have been around for what seems forever, winning many prizes at the House of the Year awards – the first back in 1993 and many more since, and building many beautiful architectural designed homes in and around the Franklin area.
Harry and Karen have always been dedicated to backing young New Zealand talent, through training their apprentices and encouraging them to be the very best in the trade.
Dan van Tiel and Robert Boulger are two that have really impressed, and are now taking over the reins with new company VDP Construction Limited. Harry is very proud of their achievements and will be staying on to help out for the foreseeable future, having full confidence that Dan and Robert have the skillset and same passion for building.
Dan won first place in the Auckland Apprentice of the Year in 2015 and soon after had a leading role as company foreman. Robert started a little later after starting out as an aircraft engineer, but always had a deep-down interest in building. His apprenticeship started with buying an old villa, shifting to his site and renovating it. Rob did an adult apprenticeship under Dan and has excelled ever since.
There is a huge amount of change happening in the building industry and Dan and Robert are at the forefront of the new sustainability and environmental regulations coming through.
Dan and Robert and their partners Ash and Crystal make a formidable team. Ash in social media and web design and Crystal in office administration and logistics, both having two children. Nothing will change with VDP Construction taking over as they will continually strive to deliver outstanding architecture for future generations.
Based in Pukekohe and servicing the wider Auckland area, their knowledge and high level of expertise and attention to detail, alongside a carefully selected group of quality subcontractors, means they continue to provide the best results for their clients.
Harry and Karen are excited for the future of VDP Construction as they build into the future.
This stunning seaside barn house at Clarks Beach is a prime example of just what van der Putten Builders is capable of.
Owned by a retired professional couple who are well known in New Zealand’s equestrian industry, this complex build overlooks Manukau Harbour and the Waitakere Ranges.
Designed by Wendy Shacklock Architects, it features Accoya vertical shiplap weatherboards and cedar, which flows seamlessly into the interior that is reflective of the owner’s heritage.
Another personal touch was the timber benchtop brought out of the original family home.
The intricate design and ingenious shape of the house makes use of the entire section and offers north facing views from every bedroom.
“Every inch of this small narrow section has been utilised,” Dan said.
One of the more complex builds the team has been involved in, 52 bisecting individual pieces of structural steel have been used to construct the skeleton of the house, which also has multiple roof pitches and soffit angles.
Featuring cedar sarked ceilings and soffits, Tasmanian Blackwood was used for flooring and stairwell treads, with Rosewood on all window jambs. The joinery was anodised along with the aluminium roof, because of the seaside location.
The front door and atrium window were so large they had to be craned in, and you’ll find nothing regular or square in this house – just many complex angles that builders had to work with.
One of the many features of this home is the stairway – floating treads around a central angled hub was all built by Dan and Rob onsite using Tasmanian Blackwood. Passive heating and cooling solutions with eyebrow roof overhangs and screens help control temperature between the seasons. There is a ducted transfer fan to direct warm air from the apex of the ceiling down to the hallway on the south side of the home.
Like many of van der Putten Builder’s customers, the clients were familiar to the company, having built their son’s house five years earlier.