By Murray Long Builders Ltd
Brian and Jane have lived in their architectural home in Titirangi while raising their now adult family. The house was originally built in 1977 and reflected the architecture of the time.
They commissioned their architect, to design a full-house alteration which made the most of their treetop views, modernised their home and joinery, yet remained sympathetic to the original architecture.
Murray Long Builders took on this beast of a build, and we mean this in the nicest possible way. This house required a significant level of problem-solving throughout the build, balancing the need to recreate the original detailing whilst still meeting building code.
Always up for a challenge, we completely revived the house, with aluminium joinery throughout, a new roof, kitchen and bathrooms. We also made additions to the bedroom and built a pergola, a new entrance, and new deck balustrades..
Proving that we could problem solve, overcome challenges and think on the fly meant that we formed a really solid relationship with Brian and Jane. They are really pleased that we met their vision for the build and the changes are seamless. We continue to enjoy an ongoing working relationship with them.
Photos by Rachel Shields Photography
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.