Cromwell-based builder wins ultimate Master Builder awards

A small Cromwell-based building company has taken home the top award for not just one, but two homes in the coveted Registered Master Builders Southern Region House of the Year competition.

Keith Mackenzie Builder, owned and operated by qualified Master Builder Keith Mackenzie, won the gold and overall category award for two homes in the PlaceMakers New Homes ($400,000 - $500,000) and James Hardie New Homes ($500,000 to $650,000) categories.

The win puts Keith and his company in the running for selection for the national finals in Auckland in November.

“I can’t tell you how great it was to take home the category wins for both houses,” said Keith.

“We’ve done pretty well in past Master Builder competitions but to have done even better this year is a huge achievement for us.

“There’s only six of us, including myself, so me and the lads certainly have something to be proud about.”

Both winning homes are brilliantly unique in their individual look and feel.

The winner of the PlaceMakers category is a contemporary twist on a classic croft-style home in Cromwell, featuring oak floors, colonial doors, warming wood joinery, old-fashioned and yet so-on-trend wallpaper and a striking central staircase, oozing authenticity and character.

Homeowners Fred Black and Trish O’Neill are “thrilled” with their new home.

“I designed the home myself, finalising the plans with an architect before bringing in Keith to build it for me,” said Frank.

“We’d used Keith before when he converted a house we owned to a B&B, and with Keith’s help we achieved a 4-star-plus rating.

“Keith’s very particular about his work and the house has a great finish. His attention to detail is second-to-none. He has a great team, hires very good sub-contractors and he’s great to work with, a really nice guy.”

The modern home that won the James Hardy category has views over Lake Dunstan and the vast beauty of the Bannockburn Sluicings. The sleek three-bed home hunkers down in its rural setting with all features complementing the surrounding landscape.

Gunsmoke-coloured polished concrete flooring flows through the entry, kitchen, dining room, lounge and atrium while super-high timber ceilings add to the sense of space.

Keith’s a real Otago local, having grown up in Tapanui, West Otago and worked on building projects around the region since he started as an apprentice in 1975.

“Mum said I couldn’t leave school until I got an apprenticeship, so at 15 I went out and did just that, bagging myself a carpentry apprenticeship with a local company,” he said.

Keith has been a fully qualified builder for 35 years, working on significant projects such as the famous Clyde Dam in the 1980’s and has been a Master Builder since 2006.

For the last 20 years, Keith’s run his own business working on a range of projects from wool sheds to renovations and architecturally-designed homes. Working mainly in Cromwell and surrounding areas, he now has a dedicated team of five.

The awards started to trickle in, claiming Master Builder’s recognition for the 2007 silver award house of the year commercial project, a 2009 gold award and category winner and another silver award in 2012.

“Back when I started, we did everything. We built the frames, pitched the roof and put the roof on. We hung the doors and mixed concrete by hand.

“Now, it’s all done by specialists and techniques have developed with new materials and designs. But I know my strengths and it certainly does still help to have an all-round background knowledge and experience of the industry.”