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Warmer and Quieter Homes for Waiouru
13 March 2007
The occupants of four new homes in Currie Crescent, Waiouru might get a pleasant surprise when they receive their next electricity bills – their new homes have double glazed windows, extra thick insulation in the floors, walls and ceiling, and a solar water heating panel attached to each roof. The occupants might even find that their woodsheds need less replenishment to get them through the harsh Waiouru winter.
“The climate was a huge determining factor in build design and specification”, said Hugh Lawrence of David Reid Homes, which constructed the homes.
The official handover of the new properties was attended by Commander JLSO Air Commodore Stewart Baillie, David Reid Homes representatives Hugh Lawrence and Mike Grove, and Commander ATG Colonel Kevin Burnett, Major Bob Barlin for CO WSC and JLSO project manager WO2 Nigel Snalam.
Not only will the houses be a lot warmer and quieter than the five that they have replaced, they will also be a lot bigger, affording some 50 percent more space than equivalent Waiouru housing. Two of the properties are 160sqm three-bedroom homes and two are 170sqm four-bedroom homes. Each home has larger bedrooms, a much larger living area, a study, sophisticated heating system, an ensuite for each master bedroom, and a 36sqm double garage with automatic access.
Concrete flooring; high-quality, machine-grade structural timber framework; and brick exterior cladding topped off by Coloursteel roofs and spouting, ensures that each property is low maintenance. The project came in on the $1.2m budget, which included woodsheds, fencing, landscaping, paths and driveways.
Construction of the project, a joint venture between DRH Taupo and DRH Manawatu, started August 2006 and was completed on 9 February. AIRCDRE Baillie presented certificates of appreciation to DRH, who in turn presented a photograph album covering the life of the project.
WO2 Nigel Snalam said the project was interesting and challenging, given the Army and Waiouru community expectations of Defence housing in the area. “Right from the start of the project my brief was to take into consideration the harsh climatic conditions that occur in Waiouru and the need for more functional living spaces within the houses, which I think we successfully addressed both with the houses handed over today.”
The keys were then officially accepted by MAJ Bob Barlin, and a tour of the homes followed. 
It is hoped that homes of this standard will attract soldiers and families to Waiouru. During the next year, the new occupants will provide feedback on the houses to ensure that future builds, like this one, will provide the same “warm, Waiouru welcome”.
This page was last reviewed on 04 November 2008 and is current.
