An eco-friendly offering by Masterton firm D.R. Borman garnered a swag of awards at the weekend's Wairarapa Registered Master Builders 2009 House of the Year awards. As well as winning the Wairarapa PlaceMakers Supreme Award, the Mt Holdsworth property, pictured, received four Lifestyle awards, the New Homes $650,000-$1million award and theMeridian Sustainable Homes $500,000-$1million award. The home was built with an environmentally-friendly focus utilising sustainable methods for everything from waste control to solar power for the entire house. The house is also strategically positioned for maximum sun while remaining protected from the southerly winds. "This contemporary holiday home collects and stores rainwater and gains energy through solar panels, storing excess power in batteries. In short, the property is fully self-sufficient," competition judges said. "Well positioned against a hill, the builder has executed a great design with a high level of finish." Two gold awards for the house were presented at a Saturday evening ceremony at the Wellington Town Hall that acknowledged all local winners from both Wellington and Wairarapa. Another gold was won by Rankin Building for a Pahiatua property. The three gold award winners from the Wairarapa Association will now be judged alongside gold award winners from the other 20 regions of the competition to find 100 National Gold Reserve finalists. These finalists will be announced in late August, before the PlaceMakers Supreme Award and RMB Commercial Project of the Year are announced at a gala dinner in Auckland in November.
