Sustainable home in Taranaki wins multiple awards

The award-winning home is nestled in the Pouakai Range adjacent to Egmont National Park. Photo / Supplied

A brilliant example of a sustainable home in New Plymouth has taken out top prizes in the Taranaki Registered Master Builders 2015 House of the Year.

The winning home meant Pepper Construction were given five regional awards, including a Gold Award and category win for the ITM New Home up to $300,000.

It also gained the Taranaki Registered Master Builders Supreme Award for the 2015 House of the Year, and the company won the Craftsmanship and Resene Sustainable Home Awards for the project.

"This home is only about 65 square metres, beautifully built and totally sustainable. It collects its own rain water, has solar panels and its own sewage system," the competition judges said.

"The location of this build posed challenges for the builder, with limited access resulting in all materials having to be carried down to the site. This home is outstanding - an absolute gem."

The floor of the home has been insulated with sub-floor polystyrene, and its polished concrete acts as a heat sink. The house has double glazing, solar power energy, gas hot water and wood fire heating, as well as cedar weatherboard cladding, roof water and septic tanks.

The home is nestled in the Pouakai Range adjacent to the Egmont National Park. It was particularly challenging to build, given all construction power had to be supplied by generator, among steep hills and extremely high rainfall.

The results were announced on 7 August at Devon Hotel in New Plymouth.

The 10 Gold Award winners from the Taranaki region are now eligible to become National Gold Reserve finalists, competing in September with other regional winners from around the country. Further winners will be announced in Auckland in November.

The Awards are made possible through the support of PlaceMakers, Master Build Services, James Hardie, GIB, Nulook, SafetyMate, Carters, ITM, Plumbing World, Resene, Westpac and Mitre 10, and you can read more about the competition at www.houseoftheyear.co.nz.

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