New premises the result of steady growth during company’s first decade
The last few months have been huge for Design Windows Dunedin, as they’ve celebrated 10 years and moved into new premises.
Now located in Mosgiel, the company had experienced such consistent growth over its first decade that finding a better facility had become necessary.
Managing Director Mark Baker says that it became clear about two years ago, when the lease for their building next to the harbour in town nearing renewal.
‘‘It was pretty restricted there,’’ he says. ‘‘So do we just plateau, or go for something custom built that we can grow into? It became a pretty easy option.’’
Having looked around, Design Windows Dunedin decided on working with Calder Stewart on the construction of a new building on a 4000 square metre site at 11 Odlins Place, next to Taieri Airfield in Mosgiel.
With the operation having grown from a team of just five in October 2013 to the 30 who are now employed, there are many benefits to the new custom built premises.
Having far more space means that the loading and unloading of goods is no longer a logistical nightmare. The office space and showroom is tailored to what the company now requires. And the workshop is also more spacious, so the manufacturing workflow is more streamlined, with the addition of high-end Emmegi machinery from Italy and another CNC machine.
‘‘The loading space is great,’’ Mark says. ‘‘It means we can actually prioritise what jobs we start on and then have a better flow through the workshop. The new machinery we have got has made things flow better. And here we’ve got more room for future growth, so there’s space allocated for additional machinery down the track.’’
After much planning the company started moving on January 15, their first day back at work in 2024. It took about two weeks, with some fine-tuning still being completed.
While Design Windows Dunedin has steadily grown over its existence, significant changes to the Building Code in recent years have boosted demand for their products. The H1 Energy Efficiency updates to the code require a higher level of insulation performance for new build homes.
‘‘They’re definitely good changes to have, making healthier homes for people to live in’’ Mark considers. ‘‘There’s a lot more technology required, and it’s not as easy to put together, so it takes more work and the right equipment to do it properly.’’
The main system used by Design Windows is supplied by Hamilton based Architectural Profiles Limited (APL) and Architectural Glass Products (AGP).
This is comprised of the Thermal Heart+ frames and high-performance, Low-E Solux double-glazing.
‘‘They’ve been developed by APL and AGP to be a complete system,’’ Mark says. ‘‘It’s all been designed to work together, which is a real benefit.’’
Design Windows Dunedin are part of the wider Design Windows organisation which was first launched in Nelson in 1984.
Over the 40 years since it’s become South Island wide, and although the five branches are individually owned they work together as a group.
The Dunedin branch was initially spawned from the Cromwell business, who they still work closely with.
A decade after their Dunedin launch, Design Windows still mainly serve residential customers. Projects that they work on span from single new homes with local builders, through to larger group residential schemes, plus some replacement window joinery work.
Among the team of 30, there are project managers, estimators and detailers, fabricators in the workshop, and even some onsite installers and site glazers.
While celebrating their 10th anniversary was a milestone for Design Windows Dunedin, moving into the new custom built facility was perhaps an even bigger one. Mark thanks Calder Stewart for their work on the joint project.
‘‘They were good to deal with,’’ he says. ‘‘This is exactly the kind of building that Calder Stewart excel at doing, so it was a pretty straightforward process with them.’’
