CONSTRUCTED BY GALLAGHER TRADE BUILDING, led by Dan and Tracy Gallagher, offers high quality building services in and around the South Canterbury region.
The Gallaghers oversee the team and organise the paperwork and the site meetings to ensure that your building project is completed on time, on budget and without undue stress. The Gallagher team consists of three trade-qualified foremen, three apprentices, an administrator and two trade-qualified loyal contractors who join the others during peak periods. You can be sure that the people you speak to about your project are the people working on your project.As a platinum card member of the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand, and a Licensed Building Practitioner, Dan offers his clients the assurance that they are dealing with a registered trade professional. He personally oversees all the work undertaken by the firm which normally consists of new housing, alterations, renovations and light commercial work. Recent projects which illustrate the firm’s attention to detail and efficiency include the Cochrane home, the refurbishment of the arts classrooms at Timaru Girls’ High School, a complete refit of the offices at Alpine Energy and two further private houses in Timaru.
The team at Gallagher Trade Building take pride in every job they undertake, have a proven track record of high quality workmanship and are committed to ensuring your dream becomes a reality.
Chirstmas in the pool
words: joanne taylor images: john rushton
In a quiet suburban street on the outskirts of Temuka, this contemporary home was built, incorporating elements of clever design to meet the changing needs of a retired dairy farming couple.Christmas in the Pool
148HAVING WORKED AND LIVED on the same farm for fifty years, Jocelyn and Bill Cochrane, were due for a change. They had sold their farm and subsequently bought a vacant block on the edge of town for its combination of rural views and closeness to services, family and friends. Bill’s only regret is that the section isn’t bigger.
Jocelyn was quite specific in her brief to their architect, John Rushton of Rushton Architects in Timaru. “I would like my new house to be quite trendy but not over the top,” she requested. “Plus it has to be nice and sunny, to look nice but not be a palace as it is still a family home.” With a bad back plaguing Jocelyn’s health, there was also the need to ensure that the design had work surfaces and cupboards elevated as well as future-proofing the house in case a wheelchair for everyday use becomes necessary.
The resulting home is elegant and inviting. The light streams in through floor to ceiling glass windows and a glass roof over the dining table brings the sky right into this living area. Cleverly built-in furniture keeps items off the floor and creates a feeling of spaciousness with the wall-to-wall carpet encouraging the eye to take in the entire room.
“The only problem with so much glass,” says Jocelyn, “is the lack of wall space for art or even to put furniture against. It’s taken a while to get used to it.”
The house is set well back on the block of land. The schist exterior walls create a solid feel for the new home, it almost nestles into its space. Rising over the roof are the random width depth vertical cedar weatherboard pillars which house the solar hot water panels. They invoke curiosity and one needs to see the roofing from the rear to understand how this house is put together. It is a series of interlinked cubes and even the separate pool house plays its part in the house design. Simply stunning.
Visitors are greeted by a huge, eye-catching glass front door. With beautiful timber and steel handles the door is truly a stunning feature from outside or inside the high entrance foyer. “It was made in Auckland and did take a while to arrive,” laughs Jocelyn. “We weren’t sure about it at the start but I am so glad we went with it.
The glass door and high glass windows allow light to flood into the foyer. A feature wall of schist brings the outside in. This wall floats above a low, glass window which ensures that the solid stone does not dominate the entrance space. At night it is lit from above and the light dances over the textured surface of the stone. A family grandfather clock sits peacefully in this modern space.
Inside the home is designed with retirement in mind. There are no handles sticking out from any cupboard, so nothing to catch someone unawares while moving around the home. The main doors are sliding so that they move out of sight, again to ensure that there is space if needed down the track for mobility aids down the hallways.
The open space of the kitchen is bathed in light from the glass ceiling above the table. The sleek lines of the waterfall benchtop hide a myriad of underbench appliances and drawer space. A DishDrawer™ Wide means that Jocelyn does not have to bend down to fill a lower drawer with dirty plates and it holds more than enough crockery for a family. A wide oven is set high into the cabinetry with a microwave above, again ease of access ensures that Jocelyn will be able to use the kitchen without difficulty. Her favourite appliance though is the Fisher and Paykel induction cook top. “It heats a pot of water so quickly – it can beat a jug for boiling water,” says Jocelyn.
A butler’s pantry is hidden behind sliding pantry doors. This reveals another work space perfect for baking and storing the necessities of dining. A sink and bench with open shelving above are hidden away in this alcove.
A door beside the pantry leads to the large laundry room which houses two chest freezers as well as the usual laundry appliances. The outdoor area and garden can be accessed from the laundry for the requirements of hanging washing.
colour amongst the neutral tones of the home. “We really started the decoration from the mirror. I saw it and fell in love with it and so everything else has stemmed from this,”
says Jocelyn. A schist feature wall holds the log burner – a unique horizontally-shaped one made by Stovax from the UK. A wall-mounted television is placed above the fire with due
consideration taken for the rising heat.
“The television is quite high and you do feel you have to look up to it, but I enjoy using this room,” explains Jocelyn.
One of the aspects of a modern home with lots of glass walls has been the fact that curtains do not tend to work in these environments. Beautiful blinds have been fitted throughout the rooms and Jocelyn is still getting used to them. All of the high blinds are electronically controlled which makes it very easy to block out the sun when required and make the room snug during winter. The fabric from the blinds has also been used behind the glass splashback in the kitchen.
The master bedroom is directly off the kitchen and boasts a large ensuite with textured white tiles on the walls. The glass shower is large and, again, all aspects have been built with future needs in mind for the Cochranes. One of Jocelyn’s favourite features is the alcoves above the bed where precious photos and treasures can be displayed.
Three more bedrooms, one with an ensuite, and a craft room are on the other side of the house. At present the couple’s daughter lives with them and various grandchildren come to stay on a regular basis. This whole end of the house can be closed off when not in use. The craft room, which also houses the piano, has large cupboards where the sewing machine and materials can be easily accessed as needed.
Outside the deck area is spacious and invites relaxation. An inground pool provides Jocelyn with the water exercise space she enjoys with the added bonus of being an attractive place for children and grandchildren alike. “We swam on Christmas Day last year,” smiles Jocelyn. “It was wonderful and I couldn’t believe I was actually doing it.”
A pool house built in the same material as the house contains a changing area and toilet as well as two outdoor showers. All of the pool equipment is housed here out of sight.
The pool has a self-cleaning system and whilst it is a chlorine pool Jocelyn commented that the cost is very moderate for maintenance, much to her delight.
Dan Gallagher was the main builder on the job and both Jocelyn and John Rushton commented on how easy he, and his team, including sub-contracted builder Mike Bruin, were to get along with. With a twinkle in her eye, Jocelyn recounts meeting Dan in the street, and instantly felt he was the man for her new build.
“We had site meetings every week with John, ourselves, Dan and Mike so we always knew where we were at. It was a great experience and a wonderful team to work with.”
“It’s very contemporary but very functional too,” says Jocelyn. “I fell in love with it as soon as I saw the plans and now we have been here a year we are still getting used to living in such a beautiful, new home. And I never thought I would be able to swim on Christmas Day!”
Location: Temuka, South Canterbury
Area 394 sprm
Use: Private Residence
Designed by: Rushton Architects
Built by Gallagher Trade Building Ltd
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