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Out of the ruins and rubble of Canterbury a new city will rise.

A city that can stand for all that is great about New Zealand, Pacific design and Kiwi ingenuity.

A place people feel safe, secure and proud to call home.

Christchurch can be a showpiece for design, construction and Kiwi engineering expertise.

We have an unprecedented opportunity to leave a legacy that will stand for generations and a responsibility to build not only a city but a future our grand-children’s grand-children can be proud to call Kiwi.

Napier suffered a similar fate in the 1920s, and now stands as a tribute to Art Deco that attracts architectural connoisseurs from around the world.

Christchurch can be a similar icon of excellence, prosperity and buoyancy.

We have an opportunity to build a tribute not only to the fallen, but to the future we’ve paid such a high toll for.

We can build a city that honors our history while exploring, inventing and embracing everything great about this nation and the potential of our people.

Grant Laing, Managing Director of Laing Homes, sees the potential of quality transportable prefab homes as the answer to many disenfranchised property owners woes.

Laing Homes has been part of a family operated relocation company since 1987.

“We have basically built a prototype high-end transportable prefab house. We decided to design that about 18 months ago. David Hill of Wilson Hill Architects has come up with a truly unique and innovative design using high quality materials made here in New Zealand including Metrapanel ceilings and walls,” says Grant.

“We’d already been working on an architecturally designed home for the last couple of years. Our resolve to push on with a quality transportable prefab home was strengthened after the earthquakes. One of the fundamental points of difference of our design is you can grow the home. It comes as a primary model that showcases what you can achieve with a prefab property. It is a growing concept meaning you can add to it. Whilst it won’t suit everyone’s price range we can adapt other designs to suit a budget. We have a whole range of homes in styles and pricing levels that utilise the strength and resilience of Metra Panel to speed up construction time.”

“The Smart House on display at the Hive Innovation Park is a hybrid construction using Metra Panel walls and ceilings.”

“We’ve tried to show what you can achieve with very good architecture and prefab techniques.”

“Christchurch has suffered significant liquefaction as a result of 18 months of after shocks and quakes or seismic activity. Many areas now require special foundations and some areas are only suitable for light weight timber floors and driven piles. Lightweight transportable homes can be re-leveled quite easily. The other major attraction to Laing houses is they can be built off site allowing the damaged home to be brought off site and replaced quite quickly. “

“We’ve created a truly unique transportable pre-fab home with a 2.7metre stud height. That’s a really tall floor to ceiling height. Doing that often means you have to compromise transportability, but we haven’t.”

“David designed a very clever roof pitch. We avoided the temptation of a flat roof or mono-pitch roof. And we avoided temptation to have internal gutters. A maximum ceiling height without compromising transportability allows for full length windows. A high stud and floor to ceiling windows offers an illusion of additional space. Smaller stud heights often feel more restrictive.”

“Using Kiwi made Metra Panel gives our design additional strength and bracing without compromising quality.”

“I think that given the Canterbury rebuild and the uncertainty of land types and Geo-technical problems, structures like Laing Transportable homes are going to have to be considered.”

“This is a home that allows people to create a high end home and protect that investment with the foundation designs we can build into it.”

“We’re going back to building systems that have been tried and tested for years and added to with very good design.”

“Basically we make homes more robust and able to handle seismic activity,” concludes Grant.

Mark Tutty, Commercial Project Manager for Falcon Construction, says they are also using Metra Panel in their commercial and residential buildings due to the speed of construction pre-cut walls, panels and ceilings provide as well as the superior finish of the larger than average panels.

“Basically it is the speed and durability of Metra Panel that makes it the building product of choice for Falcon,” says Mark.

Metra Panel requires little, if any, stopping and the strength of the Metra Panel/concrete wall system is ideal for Canterbury, especially with all the after shocks.

“We re-visit all our buildings after major shocks and not one of them has required any remediation,” says Mark.

Falcon Construction is an innovative building company with independent intellectual property no other construction company can offer.

“We use Metra Panel because of the speed of construction and durability of the product,” says Mark.

Metra Panels are pre-cut to design in the family owned and operated Huntly factory and trucked to site where they are assembled like Lego for grown ups.

Falcon Construction were one of the principle sponsors of the giveaway Hayes family home built for a Canterbury family in need.

At the opening ceremony Government ministers were impressed by the quality of the CUBE home with a myriad of opportunity for government projects.

Using Metra Panel reduces construction time and people can move into their property in less than 20 days from signing a Falcon Construction contract.

“The beauty of Falcon’s Cube buildings is that they are designed to be fully de-constructed so they can be moved quite easily if the desire arises to relocate,” says Mark.

“We recently built a 228m² building for Anstice Opticians in just 29 days.”

The Christchurch quakes took a devastating toll on our city but along with this devastation comes opportunity. The opportunity to start from scratch building a modern safe city.

“Where else do you have an opportunity to build an entire city?”

Why wouldn’t you use the best products available?

Concrete is used extensively throughout Falcon designs.

The thermal qualities of concrete are ideal for Canterbury’s hot summers and frosty winters.

Polished concrete floors are a feature of Falcon’s Rakaia show home at the Hive, yet Mark says the under floor heating may never be needed.

Concrete absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night.

But that’s not just the floors.

The Metra Panel/concrete walls will have the same effect all year around.

CUBE - by Falcon Construction

Category : Blog

Your home should be a sanctuary.

It should be a space to retreat, refresh and recharge.

A place that is safe, secure and free from tyranny.

Especially if you are young, vulnerable, distressed or sick.

Unfortunately this is not always the case.

Cholmondeley Home (pronounced Chum-ley) offers Canterbury children short term and emergency respite care during times of stress or crisis at home.

Cholmondeley is a place full of acceptance, caring and hope; providing support for children when their parents cannot.

The children Cholmondeley care for are aged between three-years-old and twelve-years-old. They come from families with issues ranging from severe illness, substance abuse and addiction, even death of a parent.

When Mitre10 Mega Ferrymead chose Cholmondeley as recipients of a very ambitious project to build and auction a house for charity, Fusion Homes, and Metra Panel Construction were all onboard too.

Andrew Savage, Director, Metra Panel Construction says while this project wasn’t instigated by us, it is in-line with our business values.

“We like to be involved with the communities that support us. We do good deals for Habitat for Humanity for instance because we like to give back. It’s about working with local people in need.”

Metra Panel donated approximately $15k worth of panels, walls and cladding for the 180sm, four-bedroom house.

But Andrew went one better than just supplying material.

He rolled up his sleeves, packed the Savage family and went to Christchurch to work alongside the Fusion Homes building team.

“I went with our two kids and Melissa to help. I’m not a tradesman, but I did building years ago.”

Metra Panels are supplied pre-cut to size and connect like a kit-set.

The home was built on site next to Mitre 10 Mega. Because it was ready to be transported it wasn’t tied down when the second earthquake hit.

During the quake the home was knocked off its supports.

Yet due to the remarkable strength of Metra Panels and a good Fusion design no damage was incurred by the home.

“Apart from Metra Panels being really strong, you get a superior finish too – a really nice finish inside ideal for modern designer homes or child care facilities. The joint venture opportunity was a really nice gift” says Andrew.

The profit made from the auction paid for a new kitchen at Cholmondeley. The new child friendly food space allows children to be involved in cooking there own meals – sometimes.

For more information about Cholmondeley visit http://cholmondeley.org.nz

For more information about Fusion Homes visit http://www.fusionhomes.co.nz

Category : Blog

New videos have been added to the Metra panel installation page to show Metra ceiling panel installation and batten fixing to exterior walls.

http://metrapanel.co.nz/installation

Category : Blog

Metra panel exterior walls are now available in three insulation levels.

Metra Standard R2.0 is the thermal insulation value to meet minimum building code requirements for all regions of New Zealand.

Metra Standard R2.0 exterior wall

Metra Eco R3.0 exterior wall

Metra Black Heart R6.0 exterior wall

Category : Blog

Opening Day

We celebrated the official opening of our purpose built factory, in style, on 15 October 2010.

150 people attended from across the country and abroad. It was a true testament to all the hard work by our team and installers. The day started with a blessing from the local minister, Owen Mounsey, followed by Pat Kingi, a local Komatua who performed a powhiri.

The cutting of the ribbon was done by Kees and Rudi from Netherville Village. Netherville was the first large project completed using the Maxim/Metra product. This project allowed Les Wykes to put money into R & D and establish the founding of the system.

The young boys from ATC, led by our very own Mohi Hiriaki performed the Haka while everyone was being seated. There were a number of guest speakers, Les Wykes, Mike Lawrence (Laminex), Grant Laing (Laing Homes) Phil Taylor (Tompkins Wake), and summed up for all by company director Andrew Savage.

Category : Blog

We are a fast growing innovative company. A key aspect in moving forward is re branding the company and products from Maxim and Maximpanel to our new name ‘Metrapanel’.

Category : Blog