A Southland building company has taken home one of the highest honours at the New Zealand Commercial Project Awards.

BJ Carter Builders and Insulators won the prestigious Value award for all commercial projects under $2 million, for its fi out and redesign of the Beauty and Beyond day spa in Invercargill. The team was also awarded a Gold Award for the project in the Retail section.

BJ Carter owner James Carter said it was a stamp of honour to have been awarded the national Value award, and reflected the hard work and experienced craftsmanship of the entire team.

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“This project spanned eight months and a good deal of it was completely bespoke, so to have everyone’s hard work recognised like this is wonderful – bit of a morale treat for everyone heading into Christmas,” he said.

The awards celebrate builders and contractors delivering quality commercial construction projects nationwide.

Run by the Master Builders Association, entries are evaluated by judging and marking them out of a possible 1000 points. Gold is awarded to entrants achieving at least 900 points or 90 percent of the points available.

BJ Carter’s work on Beauty and Beyond scored the highest points overall in its category to win the Value Award for commercial projects under $2 million.

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The brief for Beauty & Beyond’s new space (having been previously located in the inner city redevelopment upgrade zone), which opened in February 2019, was to create a sanctuary for hosting individuals or groups of clients in a modern-day spa facility that featured wet areas and a hair and beauty salon. 

To achieve this, an empty existing space on Kelvin Street was completely gutted and refitted. Special features included curved walls, a steam room in the shape of a cave, a flotation tank with custom-designed ceiling Milky Way lighting and individual spa tubs. Underfloor heating was installed throughout the spa.

James was most proud of the joinery and carpentry, as these features were completely bespoke and created by the BJ Carter team either on-site or in their joinery workshop.

“It’s those small details that really matter because they’re the mark of quality craftsmanship and attention to detail,” he said.

The judges were particularly impressed with how well BJ Carter delivered on the complexity of the project, with the building spanning two levels, it needing to be strengthened and considerable water and drainage facilities installed.

“Purchasing and fitting out an old fringe, two-level retail building was a challenge in itself, but other challenges included having to install extensive water and waste reticulation, with spaces to accommodate large plunge pools and spa areas and upgrading the structure seismic rating to 100 percent on completion. 

“This took a considerable amount of pre-planning and collaboration with the local council, and structural and fire engineers. The workmanship from all of the tradespeople involved is impressive and is a credit to all involved,” the comments said.

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Spa owner Nicole Carter, James’ wife, said she wanted the new premises to build on everything Beauty & Beyond had always offered, having been operating in Invercargill for more than 25 years.

“We needed the space to be both functional and stylish, whilst creating an ambience of relaxation and calm,” she said.

“Each room had to have a specific purpose and had to function independently. James and the team have done a fantastic job bringing what I’d envisioned to life and client feedback has been overwhelmingly positive – we’re busier than ever.”

The New Zealand Commercial Project Awards were held virtually on November 20.