Scenic Drive
By Murray Long Builders Ltd
Nigel and Jac, who both work in advertising, engaged us in 2002 for one of our earliest and most complex architectural projects: a new build, designer home, on a challenging site, set amongst the stunning Waitakere Ranges.
As a young couple without kids, Nigel and Jac enjoy hosting parties. So Murray Long Builders built them a two-bedroom, entertainer’s dream home with open, large and light-filled spaces that make the most of their amazing outlook, complete with an industrial kitchen aesthetic. The house is full of gems for our clients and their friends to enjoy, including the hallway line which draws the eye towards an iconic Auckland view: the Harbour Bridge and Rangitoto.
Sue, their architect, had ambitious and creative ideas for their project. For us, it could easily have been described as building the unbuildable! Their sloping site meant we had to clear bush and excavate down the slopes with 8m holes, in order to anchor the structure to the hill. The house also has walls angled at 15 degrees –pushing both design limits and building code restrictions.
We are incredibly proud of their massive living room, kitchen and decks and the large windows that enhance their indoor-outdoor lifestyle and capture their incredible outlook. Their home on stilts means they have views over the fern line. The steel framing is another great feature, both structurally and aesthetically. Overall, we love how we could build the unbuildable and create the entertainer’s dream.
Read Nigel and Jac’s story on Urbis Magazine.
Photos by Carline Ducobu
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Scenic Drive
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About the
Professional
He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.
Our number one value as a business is ‘People Matter’, this is the substance behind ‘Enjoy building your home!’ The people we have on our team and the contractors we engage align to this value which results in both our team and our clients feeling valued and respected throughout the build.
Murray Long – Director
As director of MLB, Murray’s role is more than simply being the boss or solving problems — but also being the culture-setter. Learning how to handle those responsibilities well doesn’t happen overnight. In Murray’s case it didn’t have to, he began the company in 1996, so you might say the culture has grown around him. It’s the thing Murray is most proud of in MLB — the team culture and their desire to do the best possible work.
At the heart of this culture is the passion to build outstanding houses for clients who appreciate that level of detail. Being part of seeing designs unfold over the months of a build and seeing people’s eyes light up as they walk into a new space, or see some detail that has just been finished, or welcoming a family into their new home is something you can’t describe and what drives Murray to lead this team.
Murray’s dream home is a retreat away from the crowds with his family, one that looks out over the coast. But his favourite house among those built by his company is, no surprise, his own family home. ‘You get to live in what you have created,’ Murray says.
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