Golden Bay Hideaway
Evolution to Revolution
Lawrence McIntyre of Little Greenie Design & Build has been involved in the building or renovation of three very different forms and flavours of accommodation. The three accommodations, all located at Golden Bay Hideaway, can be seen as paralleling the evolution of his thinking and experience regarding construction.
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1. House Truck
The first stage of this evolution is House Truck. It is well preserved, has real style and is a funky little gem; but from a builder’s point of view it requires lots of painting and other care to keep it nice.
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2. Hippie House
Similarly the second stage in this evolution: Hippie house is a larger, more permanent structure with all the normal sewage and mains power facilities.
It is now a well finished, fully permitted house and it too is bursting with charm… but again from a builder’s perspective, it entails a lot of unnecessary work. While its seven rooms on seven levels with multiple angles are imaginative, Lawrence is faced with a maintenance programme that reflects the needs of a building prone to leaking and vulnerable to the limitations of 2nd hand materials.
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3. Little Greenie
That’s where the third evolutionary stage comes in and the true revolution begins. Little Greenie is a unification of low-energy, low-impact alternative building ideas with proven NZ building techniques. It utilises high-tech components (not gadgetry), with the principles of low energy and low maintenance requirements. It is designed to be long lasting – much longer than the average New Zealand home and is comparatively low in cost, given the building’s expected longevity and substantial energy and maintenance savings.
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3. Kiwi Greenie
Kiwi Greenie continues our progress with the four major principles: Energy efficiency, low maintenance/longevity, ease of construction and value for money. It takes eco-home design a step further and improves on the award-winning foundation achieved in Little Greenie. It may be modern, but it’s not about frills or fashion; and while it is unashamedly utilitarian, it’s definitely not drab or boring. It's a living, breathing home.
To the best of the knowledge of the trades people involved, Little Greenie Design & Build believe they have the best easily available technology in NZ to create the best product possible at this time. They are open to be challenged for the good of the environment and of society… and hope you are too.