Rilean Construction opens Queenstown's first eco-friendly show home

Award-winning Rilean Construction is leading the way in sustainable and eco-friendly home building, opening its first ever show home in Queenstown this month for a limited time.

The Queenstown-based company pioneered sustainable and energy efficient home building in the South Island when it launched its evolution home series in 2010 and has just signed its tenth contract this week.

The brand new four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in St Andrews Park – boasting majestic views of Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables mountain range -- spans 225sq m and is the first evolution home to be opened to the public.

Located at St Peters Place off Highview Terrace it will be open every weekend in May between 10am -3pm. Private viewings can be made during May by appointment only.

Rilean Construction director Mick Moffatt said it was a great opportunity for people to experience an evolution home up close for the first time.

“Anyone thinking of building or just interested in energy efficient solutions can come and see for themselves why an evolution home is so energy efficient, healthy, warm and above all stylish,” said Mr Moffatt.

“With the colder days upon us people will instantly feel the difference in warmth as soon as they walk in, and we’ll be happy to talk through how the building ‘works’ and the materials we use in construction.”

Six new evolution contracts were signed in the last eight months alone adding to the three already completed homes. The company has four more in the pipeline including a project in Moeraki, and strong interest from another six or seven homeowners in the Queenstown area.

The first two evolution homes have been a resounding success with the second home on Speargrass Flat Road achieving the prestigious six-star Homestar rating for excellence in eco-friendly building, making it the first home in Queenstown to receive the accolade.

“It has definitely been something of an ‘evolution revolution’,” said Mr Moffatt.

“Since we launched the concept we’ve seen steady growth in enquiries from people who now fully understand what we offer and the real benefits of these homes.”

“In the last two years alone sales of evolution homes have accounted for over 30% of our revenue.”

Mr Moffat added: “The evolution philosophy is simple; to design and construct healthier, warmer, more energy efficient and sustainable homes while reducing CO2 emissions.”

“The feedback we’re getting from our new homeowners and potential new homeowners is that we’ve proved we can achieve that goal, even in our relatively harsh Central Otago environment. People’s knowledge of sustainable building practices and the evolution product has also increased and as a result the process has become more mainstream.”

Independent research shows that living in an evolution home would reduce at least $900 off annual electricity bills and reduce CO2 emissions by 70%, compared to the same house with electric heating and the minimum insulation required.

Homestar is an independent body that is a joint venture between BRANZ (owned and directed by New Zealand’s building and construction industry) and the New Zealand Green Building Council, developed to give a single accreditation rating to New Zealand residential homes.

“Our aim is to continue to expand the Rilean evolution series across the South Island and we’re already receiving enquiries from a number of other locations,” said Mr Moffatt.