Winning this year’s Waikato Registered Master Builders Supreme House of the Year over $1-million tops off a list of numerous accolades dating back to 2002 for Karl Kampenhout Builders.
“We don’t enter the competition every year. It’s more for the general public to know that we still exist, I guess,” he says.
But more importantly, Karl reckons it’s about acknowledging the level of expertise and craftsmanship within his team of builders.
“What we were most proud of this time, is the entire team, the apprentices we train up to be craftsmen, and the level of consistency we strive for and achieve. We’re still delivering the same level of service. Also, the repeat clientele base back from 2004, which was the last time we won the Life Members Supreme Award.”
Like his team, Karl views his clients as personal friends.
“They become more than clients, they become friends. The home we won this award for, are the same clients we also built for in the past over ten years ago, and we also had built for other members of their family. So, it becomes personal.”
It’s been an interesting two-years for the construction industry, managing builds during lockdowns and dealing with supply chain issues, which have kept the industry on its toes.
And, Karl says, this build added some additional challenges for the team.
Designed to take in 360-degree views of the mountains, native bush and the Waikato River, Karl was proud of how the team managed the bespoke build situated on a tight site with restricted access.
“We had a couple of lockdowns to deal with, copious amounts of structural steel, cut all our roof rafters and laid our own solid timber flooring. To cut all your own frames, it’s unheard of for young apprentices to have that experience nowadays.”
Like any build Karl is involved in, this house definitely tested the skills of his builders and subcontractors.
“We still do everything –fixing our own Gib board, installing our own windows, laying the solid timber flooring, constructing the oak balustrading and staircases. This home was the next level of building; it was a complex build, but the team were up to the challenge. And you could see it in the workmanship and final product.”
While he’s enormously proud of the work his team put into this build, Karl says as with any home, a lot of the credit lies with the architect, Nick Crossfield from Studio Four Architecture.
“The architectural design of this home is bespoke,” he enthuses. “Nick Crossfield is a talented architect. He has captured river views, as well as mountain views whilst enabling the home to sit amongst the existing native trees.”
Mentoring builders of the future is important to Karl. Karl Kampenhout-trained builders will get a solid set of skills for further development within the industry.
His team of eight is made up of qualified carpenters and apprentices, and over the years Karl’s been happy to see many an apprentice come up through the ranks and start out on their own.
“The staff that have been with me, they’ve been with me for a long time. Many of them have started as apprentices and have worked their way through to foreman roles. For me this is also rewarding when I see them go right through the ranks and then eventually move on and start their own business. They keep in contact with me, and we still share knowledge.”
As well as the staff’s exceptional skill set, Karl’s project management skills are key to keeping bespoke builds to a budget and schedule.
With over 20 years of award-winning homes under his belt and nearly 35 years on the tools, he knows how to run a tight ship.
“I’m still very much hands on. I’m rotating around the jobs every day. My staff see me every day or every couple of days. So, I’m not micromanaging from a desk. And my clients expect to see me managing the jobs.”
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have faith in his team, but he takes a personal interest in each build and he’s not adverse to picking up the tools should the need arise.
“I like to have my finger on the pulse, and my staff and clients know they can call me anytime they want to.”
Project management isn’t for the faint-hearted, as evidenced by the TV design and build shows where over-confident novices watch their dream home’s budget blow out and expected completion time delayed.
“That’s (project management) what I pride myself on the most. You need to be skilled at running and organising a project. You’ve got to be forward thinking for everyone. Not just the building team but also the subcontractors, to therefore be of great benefit to your clients.”
