Hidden treasures: Lockwood Homes
For seven decades, New Zealand home-design lovers have awaited new editions of the Lockwood Plan Book to keep abreast of design and living innovations. The recently launched 21st Edition Plan Book was out of stock in a few weeks, though a reprint is now available.
The company’s website is another favourite library of plans, as are show home visits, to explore the latest plans ‘in the flesh.’ The South Island Lockwood regional office and show homes are popular with southern buyers.
“Our plans are a reflection of current lifestyles, historic popularity, aesthetics and material cost-efficiency,” comments Lockwood South Island’s John Stewart.
While almost half of all Lockwood homes built across the national network are straight from the plans books, over 30 percent are substantially amended versions of those tried-and-tested plans and a further 30 percent are totally unique,
one-off designs.
“Many of the amendments and probably all of the bespoke designs reflect the rural and lifestyle locations where many of our owners choose to live,” John adds.
The company and its builders work with local designers and engineers to create solutions to meet physical locations, views, local weather trends, owners’ furniture, art and increasingly, the need for office space, home gyms, and specialised guest accommodation.
“Fortunately, the Lockwood solid timber system is incredibly flexible, strong and yet simple to design and construct, so homes and commercial buildings are as often seen in wet, wild and windy locations like D’Urville Island in the Cook Strait and snowy climates in the Southern Alps as they are in more traditional urban and lifestyle environments,” John comments.
“Discussions with prospective clients always begin with the question of location, followed by likes and dislikes, size, lifestyle, special requirements and of course, proposed budget. From there the local builder, designers, and engineers take over,” he adds.
Find a Plan Book @ Showhomes 431 Main South Road, Hornby.
