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Author: Metropol

Award-winning Architype: Architype NZ

At Farmers’ Corner, a tourist focused retail and restaurant business just outside of Ashburton, the owners decided to commission a new bathroom facility outside the main complex. They briefed Architype to create a unique “experience-centred bathroom facility,” and just like that, visiting the restroom was never the same again.

 

 

Director of Architype Tim Ross and his team delivered a New Zealand Institute of Architects award-winning pavilion which connects visitors to its rural landscape, and you can see why the judges just couldn’t go past this audacious, original, and downright breath-taking structure.

The pavilion is constructed of a lattice of timber framing supporting a faceted glass roof. The timber structural grid is supported on a series of Oamaru sandstone fins which provide the divisions for the bathrooms and form the central open area. Located on the entry axis of the main building, the axis continues right through the centre of the pavilion and leads the eye out into the landscape.

Either side of the central axis, the pavilion is divided into private bathroom modules looking through full height fritted glass to the fields beyond.

“We knew this location required something special,” says Tim. “And we are thrilled our clients’ vision for a bathroom beyond the norm allowed us to create something that we believe will be wowing visitors for decades to come.”

 

Hallmark of a healthy home: Hallmark Homes

At Hallmark Homes, your health is the priority. With 700,000 Kiwis requiring treatment for respiratory illness and a significant correlation to our damp and draughty housing stock, the team at Hallmark are industry leaders, promoting the 6 Homestar Rating for every home they build.

 

So committed to the healthier home approach, that for just $5000, clients receive the Healthy Homestar Package.

This fabulous package includes upgrades to the build worth up to a staggering $16,000, and results in certification as a 6 Homestar rated home.

The upgrades offered in their Healthy Homestar Package that result in a warmer, drier, and healthier home include: thermally broken joinery which prevents the transfer of cold temperatures through the aluminium, Low-E glass which also reduces the transfer of heat, upgraded insulation, upgraded ventilation to reduce dampness and mould, upgraded tapware to reduce water consumption, plus energy efficient lighting.

“In the longer term all our clients are paying less for energy, using less water, improving the health of themselves and their families, plus they are receiving up to a 1 percent discount on their Home Loan Interest Rate, a benefit only available on houses that are certified 6 Homestar or more,” says Director Mike Bonne.

The team are thrilled to offer the latest round of their Healthy Homestar Package this month, through to the end of March 2021.

Hallmark’s stunning new show home at 162 Southfield Drive, Te Whariki in Lincoln recently won a Gold award at the House of the Year Competition.

Featuring a 2.55m stud height, it is fitted with Google Nest smart home automation, a designer kitchen and a covered outdoor entertaining area which leads to the sheltered and peaceful garden with its water feature focal point.

This stunning home is open Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm to 4pm. See you there soon!

 

Stress less, shine more: RO Jones Panelbeaters

A vehicle is often someone’s prized possession and it can be very distressing when it is damaged. Helping to take the stress out of dealing with this kind of situation are the panelbeating experts at RO Jones Panelbeaters.

 

“It is really important for customers’ peace of mind for them to have confidence in their panelbeater’s workmanship,” says Karl Stohr of RO Jones.

“It’s their vehicle and their choice of repairer. We have a long history of producing quality repairs from minor rust issues to major smash repairs. Exemplary customer service is also paramount for us.”

RO Jones does indeed go the extra mile. The company has thirteen loan cars available free of charge to keep customers on the road while repairs are being carried out.

There is even a loan van which is very handy for tradies and couriers. Before being returned to its owner each impeccably- repaired vehicle is washed and fully groomed, including a shining of its tyres. All the products used are eco-friendly, from the water-based paints to the cleaning products and polishes.

RO Jones workshop has been a landmark in the central city for some 30 years and has capacity to handle a large number of vehicles.

“We are conveniently located on St Asaph Street near Montreal, just pull into our driveway and we can assess your vehicle straightaway.”

 

Backyard buskers delight

International border closures have not dimmed the lights on Canterbury’s inimitable Bread & Circus Buskers Festival, which is this year celebrating talented performers from Aotearoa’s own backyard. Until January 31, the vibrant street festival will showcase more than 30 energetic artists and performers at venues across Christchurch.

 

The line-up includes award-winning comedians like The Topp Twins and Jarred Fell, cheeky host and acclaimed entertainer Rutene Spooner, cabaret superstar Nomi Cohen, and world-renowned clown Fraser Hooper.

Other acts include interactive shows like Blackboard Theatre’s musical quiz show, What the Quiz is this?!, The Biggest Little Circus, a five day workshop for aspiring teen buskers, and a busker-filled brewery tour.

Festival Director Scott Maidment says the 2021 lineup is a silver-lining to the disruption of Covid-19, as organisers can help locals rediscover the circus and musical talent here.

“The sheer breadth of artists available to us has meant that despite losing the ‘World’ in our title for 2021, we’ve not lost the ‘world-class’ from our programme.”

ChristchurchNZ General Manager Destination and Attraction, Loren Heaphy, says: “At a time when cities around the world are struggling to hold public events, Bread & Circus is an epic celebration of arts and culture, and we welcome Kiwis from across the country to Ōtautahi Christchurch to see what the fuss is about.”

Browse the programme and find showtimes or buy tickets at
www.breadandcircus.co.nz.

 

King of the water: King Water Craft

William King’s passion for boats started at an early age. Inspired by his grandfather’s naval career and round the world sailing expedition, at age 12, he put pencil to paper to design his first boat – a plywood dinghy.

 

 

With his father’s encouragement, he set about building it himself at the coastal family farm at Clarence River, in Marlborough.

His continued interest led him to study architectural design to further develop his technical design skills, and on completion, his love for the marine industry gave him the confidence to start his own business, King Watercraft.

He has spent a number of years developing rib (rigid inflatable boat) prototypes, each one taking him a step further in perfecting his designs and reputation for high quality, New Zealand-made tenders.

Today, King Watercraft manufactures jet and outboard ribs of bespoke design, and build high end tenders for recreational yachting and family fun on the water.

“King Watercraft give full interest and involvement to every client, to ensure their specifications are completely met in the design and build of their rib. Our business is about producing quality, not quantity,” says William.

 

City Chic: Belleza Boutique

Loved Lincoln local, Belleza has been providing women with gorgeous garments from top quality brands for years. Owner Anna Green recently opened her second store at The Crossing in the heart of Christchurch CBD. Opposite Country Road, the boutique brings a thoughtfully curated collection to the city, with plans to blend clothing with her passion for interior design.

 

 

MAKE A WISH: This Jocie Cami from Wish the Label, made from 100 percent linen, is a light option for summer. Paired nicely with jeans or culottes, add a pair of heels to go from daytime to night.

 

 

BLACK CAPS: Protecting your head from the sun will always be in fashion. But look good whilst doing so with the Ribbon Tie Cap from Antler NZ. The tie at the back makes it fully adjustable for the perfect fit.

 

 

BAG OF TRICKS: Get two bags for the price of one with the Sloane Reversible Tote from Stella + Gemma. Available in mustard (pictured), black and rose – talk about stylish storage options.

 

A passion for natural beauty: Transform Clinic Merivale

The skincare and cosmetic medicine industries have grown exponentially in recent times as technologies advance, more people want to take care of their appearance, and as stigma surrounding such procedures lifts. Metropol catches up with Transform Clinic Merivale nurse Katie Mcindoe.

 

 

WHAT IS AN APPEARANCE MEDICINE/COSMETIC NURSE AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED IN THE INDUSTRY?
“An Appearance Medicine Nurse is a Registered Nurse with specialised training in non-surgical cosmetic procedures. I completed my Diploma in Beauty Therapy and Applied Aesthetics in 2008 and and went on to complete my Bachelor of Nursing Degree in 2013. I worked at Christchurch hospital for a year to get medical and surgical experience and went on to persue my passion in the appearance medicine industry.”

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT TRANSFORM CLINIC AND WHAT DO YOU DO THERE?
“I have been at Transform Clinic since 2015 and was lucky enough to be fully trained by Dr Ian Little, the first doctor in New Zealand to administer botulinum for cosmetic reasons. The treatments I offer at Transform Merivale are Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox®, Dysport®,and Xeomin®), Dermal Fillers, Profhilo, Belkyra fat reduction, Liquid face lift, Platelet rich plasma, PDO threads, Sonophoresis, Dermal needling and chemical peels.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PHILOSOPHY TO YOUR WORK?
“Appearance medicine should enhance natural facial features, decreasing signs of ageing, without compromising the natural aesthetics of ones face. I pride myself on attention to detail, client satisfaction, safety and care, and the highest quality products and treatments.

 

Katie and her family

 

Instagram: Katiemcindoe.rn | Facebook: Katie Mcindoe RN

 

Restaurant quality pasta, at home: Pasta Vera

Christchurch’s Pasta Vera not only supplies the country’s top eateries with fresh pasta, but is on a mission to help Kiwis achieve restaurant-quality pasta dishes at home. Its delicious and high-quality offering now extends to a new retail range, vegan options – and even a celebrity collaboration.

 

 

The new retail range of fresh ribbon cut, gourmet filled pasta and pesto is available at New World, Raeward Fresh and Fresh Choice supermarkets around the South Island.

This includes a smoked salmon tortellini; a mushroom, walnut and feta ravioloni, and the new vegan products made of high-protein hemp and spinach in a pumpkin and ricotta ravioli, tagliatelle and vegan pesto.

“It’s not often you see fresh vegan pasta, so we think it’s a great point of difference,” says Pasta Vera’s Tania Lasagne.

Over lockdown, Pasta Vera was an extremely popular online delivery option, with the business often being asked for cooking instructions and recipes.

This ignited a collaboration with much loved local celebrity chef, Jax Hamilton, to create high-quality gourmet dishes that anyone can make in under 10 minutes.

Browse mouth-watering recipes – like mushroom, walnut and feta ravioloni with white truffle, parmesan and mascarpone sauce or vegan tagliatelle with pesto, chilli and pumpkin – at pastashop.co.nz.

At its famous factory shop in Wigram, ready meal options are the perfect accompaniment for your summer holidays – especially the 3kg lasagne range, which can easily be popped into the oven after a long day out for a crowd-pleasing meal in minutes.

Stop into the store at 1/2 Musgrove Close, Wigram or ask your local supermarket if they stock the Pasta Vera range.

 

Shrimp Poke Bowl: United Fisheries

 

Prep 10 | Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

300g Sea Cuisine Cooked & Peeled Shrimp
250g cooked white or brown rice, or quinoa, barley, bulgur wheat or sorghum
1 Lemon
2 tbsp avocado oil
3 tbsp Sriracha soy mayonnaise
300g fresh vegetables e.g. edamame beans, carrot, avocado, green beans, radish, corn, cucumber, blanched broccoli, seaweed. The options are endless and is really about personal taste.

Optional: Dry seasonings like sesame seeds, toasted nori, shichi-mi tōgarashi, crispy shallots etc.

METHOD

Coat shrimp with the Sriracha soy mayonnaise.

In a medium bowl mix the avocado oil and lemon juice together and season to taste. Add the rice (or grain option) to the bowl and mix through, coating the rice (this adds a citrus freshness to the rice & helps stop it from sticking).

Into your preferred serving bowl layer your ingredients starting with the rice (or grain) at the bottom. Portion the shrimp in the middle on top of the rice and build your other ingredients around the shrimp. Finish by seasoning as you prefer.

Note: Poke Bowls can be a fun healthy snack or meal and this recipe offers a base to many different variations of ingredients and flavours.

 

In the market: Ray White

It’s a hot market right now – housing market that is. Experienced real estate consultant Marijke Sheppard of Ray White in Rangiora is an astute observer of trends in real estate and shares her advice for potential sellers.

 

 

“A key reason behind the current activity is supply and demand. There had been a noticeable decrease previously in the supply of property coming to the market. People are now more confident to list their properties because all they are hearing in the media is how good the market is.

“The Waimakariri region however is still short on supply. Pressure on demand here is due to New Zealanders returning home, people moving from outside the region, first home buyers and investors. All are attracted to the good quality, reasonably priced properties in the district as well to as the lifestyle.”

Marijke adds that the situation is not what we all predicted would happen after lockdown. She says although it feels like it is a seller’s market in Waimakariri at present, buyers and sellers should be aware the market could change rapidly, without a great deal of warning.

Marijke believes the method of sale is the most significant consideration for owners looking to sell in this type of market. “It would take a brave agent to be willing to price a property in the current market without testing what the market might pay.”

Having an agent you can trust is also an even greater priority.