House of the Year: ‘Truly exceptional’ Hastings country lodge wins supreme regional award

A boutique country lodge in the Tukituki River valley built by Redmond Buildings has won the top regional prize in the House of the Year competition.

A boutique country lodge in Hastings has taken out the regional house of the year prize in the under $1 million category.

Built by Redmond Buildings, the lodge scooped the Central North Island and East Coast/Hawke’s Bay prize in the Registered Master Builders House of the Year regional competition.

The judges said the “wonderful” boutique country lodge, based in the wine region of the Tukituki River valley, stands as a “testament to the synergy achieved through collaboration”.

“It embodies the vision of the owner, a designer with the skill to realise that vision, and a builder who wholeheartedly embraced the project to bring the vision to life,” the judges said in their summary.

“Reminiscent of the old rustic farm stables, the exterior uses board-and-batten and corrugated steel roofing. Continuity of the rustic theme within includes repurposed aged pine cladding from the original stables for wall linings and aged hardwood in the trusses and finishes. The Redmond Builders team has exemplified the impact that teamwork can have in creating a truly exceptional building.”

The home also won the Altus Window Systems New Home $750,000-$1 million category, the Resene Eco.Decorator Interior Design Award, and a Gold Award for a home in Hastings.

Altus Window Systems impressed the judges with its design. Initially intended as a farm storage building with a boutique guest annex, it underwent an incredible transformation during construction. The revised vision expanded the accommodation while reducing its utilitarian brief, resulting in an unexpected gem.

“The exterior evokes the charm of the site’s former rustic farm stables, using board-and-batten siding and corrugated steel roofing. Inside, the rustic allure persists, with reclaimed pine cladding and aged hardwood trusses, and finishes from the original stables,” the judges said.

The judges were also impressed by the Redmond Building team’s commitment to collaborating with the designer to realise the potential.

The judges said the interior of this farm cottage beautifully complements the rustic, stables imagery portrayed by the exterior design.

They said the interior of this farm cottage beautifully complements the rustic imagery of the stables portrayed by the exterior design.

“The result has an inviting and luxurious country lodge ambience. It is evident that the builder and interior designer collaborated with enthusiasm to create this wonderful home, demonstrating their shared passion for excellence.”

Other winners in the region included Davcon, winner of the Central North Island and East Coast/Hawke’s Bay Supreme Renovation of the Year, Renovation over $1.5 million category, and a Gold Award for a home in Napier; Integral Building Services, winner of the New Home $500,000-$750,000 category, and a Gold Award for a home in Central Hawke’s Bay; and Design Builders (Hawke’s Bay), winner of the GIB Show Home category, and a Gold Award for a home in Havelock North.