Peter Stevens, managing director of DStevens, marks 50 years working at the company, which has operated for 70 years as of this year. Photo / Supplied
Peter Stevens, managing director of DStevens, marks 50 years working at the company, which has operated for 70 years as of this year. Photo / Supplied
Gisborne building company DStevens refurbished Lytton High School’s hall and has won a Silver Award for the project.
The project, Te Hīnātore, involved strengthening the hall and incorporating Māori patterns by Simon Lardelli.
The company celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, while managing director Peter Stevens marks 50 years at the company.
Receiving an award for a school refurbishment project has enhanced Gisborne based DStevens’ already special 70th anniversary.
A project to strengthen and upgrade Lytton High School’s existing hall, Te Hīnātore, was recognised with the Silver Award in the Education category at the 2025 New Zealand Commercial Project Awards.
Managing directorPeter Stevens, himself marking 50 years at the company, said he and the firm were proud to represent the region on a national level.
“The most rewarding thing was turning a mid-60s building into a multi-functional, modern, attractive building. We got the old stage out,” Stevens said.
“One-third of the building is usable area that the school can use for anything.”
Te Hīnātore at Lytton High School, constructed by DStevens. The designers were Architects 44 and cultural designer Simon Lardelli. Photo / Strike Photography
Te Hīnātore means “a source of light or enlightenment reflects the school’s commitment to learning, connection and pride in place”.
The designers were Architects 44 and Simon Lardelli, who worked on the Māori patterns and artwork, Stevens said.
“This project came with a fair bit to navigate – working on a live school site, managing asbestos, and keeping things moving. But the result is something the school and wider community can be proud of. We’re equally proud to have represented Tairāwhiti at a national level.
“It was a true team effort, with strong support from Lytton High School, the architects and our subcontractors. Te Hīnātore is now a space that better reflects the school and its community. We are pleased to have helped create something lasting that will be well used and well loved for years to come.”
“We’re pegging ourselves to the rest of the country, a good indication where we sit – with Gisborne and the rest of the country,” he added.
He believes working at the school may have inspired some potential future apprentices, as he noticed students keeping an eye on things as the work progressed.
He said that apprentices had come from Lytton High School, where the company had done other projects, as well as other Gisborne schools.
“To inspire youth today is a great thing. Being a living example pays dividends.”
Peter Stevens believes work at the school might have inspired some potential future apprentices. Photo / Strike Photography
Stevens said his father had started the company in Christchurch before it moved to Gisborne in 1966.
