One of the more recent contemporary additions to Birkenhead Point in Auckland, this splendid luxury home by TP Builders just proves why they are such leaders in the industry.
Company Director Tony Pexton has been winning awards for years, but nowadays you’ll find him giving feedback on our regional and national winners, as a judge in the Registered Master Builders House of the Year competition.
He’s built up his own strong construction team over 30 years in the industry, and they continue to quietly chip away at masterpieces of their own.
An old home once owned by the former Mayor of Auckland had to make way for this architectural build on the North Shore, which has views over the city, Herne Bay and the inner harbour, with the ferry at your doorstep.
Surrounded by heritage buildings, the work required to demolish the existing home and rebuild on an extremely tight and difficult site, was extensive.
Every inch of this sloping section was carefully planned and designed to accommodate a new luxury house, thanks to architect David Ponting of PFA. The interior designer Rachyl Abraham was also a welcome addition to the team and worked her magic to bring the interiors to life.
There’s a media room, another for billiards, a gym, a wine cellar and an elegant powder room with strip lighting to show it all off in this 400sqm home.
The master bedroom features a drop down recessed floor just to take in the breathtaking views from the bedside.
Cedar weatherboard cladding, 40mm thick in profile, was a first for supplier BBS Timber, and continues across the front of the garage and right inside the front door to the staircase, and then follows through to the exterior of the home.
Tony said the clients were very deliberate with the execution of this detail and wanted that indoor outdoor connection. The same with the tile finishes around the building, making everything flow together seamlessly.
The steel staircase is a talking point in itself and features a giant 30mm thick pane of structural glass that had to be craned in, starting from the ground floor and reaching 4.5m high right through the middle of the house.
“The whole work that went into the stairwell was phenomenal.”
Everything about this build was challenging, but tricky and complex builds are what TP Builders are reknown for and thrive on.
The clients are known to Tony and his wife Karen, and the best part is that the building process has now brought them closer together as friends – it helps they all live in the same neighbourhood.
TP Builders first entered the House of the Year competition back in 1995 and after a succession of awards, Tony was approached to judge and give feedback to others in the industry.
Starting as a regional judge in 2014, he moved to judging the national top 100 over the last 3 years and also gives talks around the country to up and coming building companies on how to succeed at House of the Year.
“It has put us in the limelight a bit more, with our business,” he said – the only downside is that for now, his team miss out on entering the awards themselves, but that could easily change in the future.
