Stu Clark and the team from Lakes Building Co love a challenge. In fact they revel in it. With 22 years’ experience in the Queenstown area they have built multiple new homes and undertaken many renovations and commercial projects. Stu says a determination to achieve exacting standards has seen the company rewarded with national awards and glowing testimonials from satisfied clients.

Their most recent residential builds reinforce their precision craftmanship including a national Master Builders House of the Year win in the $1.5m to $2m category for the impressive Arbuckle House at Jacks Point.

Judges claimed it was a property that “showcased the builder’s exceptional carpentry skills and passion for their craft. The builders’ skills are obvious in the walls of negative-jointed meranti marine plywood with battens, bespoke wooden bunks, furniture and cabinetry.”

Inspired by simple Nordic cabins Stu says the house was designed in the aftermath of Covid-19 where gib was in short supply. “As a result it was all ply finished on the inside but it absolutely produced a better end result with exquisite detailing and finish.”

More recently the company has completed Vineyard House in Gibbston which is a bespoke home with highly detailed architectural features.” Stu says the contemporary, low maintenance home sits among vines and is essentially two strong boxes crossing in a t-shape to maximise views, capture sun and shelter the property from wind.

“Corten steel cladding enables it to age and patina naturally and it’s internally wrapped with cross ventilation for effective heating and cooling. There was an epic amount of detailing with expansive use of timber flooring and pre-finished ply to the interior. The Corten steel is awesome to work with, I love it because it’s perfectly imperfect.”

Unique Brew Hall

Lakes Building Co recently completed the Cargo Collective Brew Hall at Arthur’s Point, home to Cargo’s new brewery but also a versatile and high-tech function space for events.

“It was a huge build on a site right next to an open business so there were a few logistics that we worked through,” says Stu. “We are thrilled to have completed something of this quality in the space of a year using commercial processes and a high level of architectural finishing.”