South well represented in project awards
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Breen Construction has won the supreme under $10 million award at the 2025 Commercial Project Awards for the new Scapegrace distillery in Central Otago (pictured above).
Judges said it stood out for its meticulous blend of architectural impact with precision-engineered processing facilities.
The judges particularly praised the company's ability to deliver the project to a high standard in harsh weather conditions and under budgetary constraints, made possible through its process engineering approach.
Other southern winners included Cook Brothers for Ayrburn Arrowtown (commercial project $10m-$25m value award and tourism and leisure project category winner), and Calder Stewart Construction for Te Pou ō Mata-Au Clutha District War Memorial and Community Centre (civic project category winner).
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Otago Daily Times
24-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Building projects nationally recognised
Queenstown building companies have this week been recognised on the national stage for local projects. Cook Brothers Construction, Naylor Love Central Otago and Lakes Building Co have all been honoured at the New Zealand Commercial Project Awards, which recognise the contribution of entire project teams. Cook Brothers won the value award ($10million to $25m), the tourism and leisure project award and picked up a gold award — recognising projects which receive a judging score between 900 and 1000 points — for Arrowtown's Ayrburn hospitality precinct, specifically the meticulous restoration of the Woolshed, Manure Room and Dairy. Owned by Winton, project partners were Aquaheat, ENGCO, Qube Consultants Ltd and SA Studios. The entry says the project balanced heritage with modern craftsmanship, utilising original schist and river stones and timber to preserve the site, while also significantly reducing its carbon footprint. Cook Brothers also picked up silver in the civic category for the Salvation Army's new building at Remarkables Park, on which it worked with 1Point618, Consort QS, Powell Fenwick Consultants and TSA Riley. Naylor Love won a gold award in the heritage and restoration category for its Speight's Ale House rebuild, which included DGSE, Ignite Architects, Lewis Bradford Consulting Engineers, Origin Consultants, Wainwright & Hickey and Heritage Stonework. The iconic building's restoration followed a devastating fire in 2023 — completed last September, the project preserved its architectural heritage, while bringing it in line with modern building codes. The building company also won two gold awards in the commercial category, one of which was for an office complex at 22 Wiltshire St, Arrowtown, which it worked on with Cosgroves, Hadley Consultants, Lewis Bradford, Origin Heritage Architects, Rubix and SB Design. Naylor Love's other gold award in that category was for Invercargill's HWR Tower. Lakes Building Co won a silver award in the tourism and leisure category for Arthurs Point's Cargo Brew Hall, which it worked on in conjunction with Yoke.
Otago Daily Times
19-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
South well represented in project awards
PHOTO: SUPPLIED Breen Construction has won the supreme under $10 million award at the 2025 Commercial Project Awards for the new Scapegrace distillery in Central Otago (pictured above). Judges said it stood out for its meticulous blend of architectural impact with precision-engineered processing facilities. The judges particularly praised the company's ability to deliver the project to a high standard in harsh weather conditions and under budgetary constraints, made possible through its process engineering approach. Other southern winners included Cook Brothers for Ayrburn Arrowtown (commercial project $10m-$25m value award and tourism and leisure project category winner), and Calder Stewart Construction for Te Pou ō Mata-Au Clutha District War Memorial and Community Centre (civic project category winner).
Otago Daily Times
10-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Whisky wins gold at awards
Scapegrace co-founder Daniel McLaughlin (left) and Scapegrace master distiller Anthony Lawry are proud of the new build and what they will make. PHOTO: LAUREN PATTEMORE A local whisky has won gold at the World Drinks Awards. ThunderDonk, a new flavoured whisky from Scapegrace Distilling, is earning global recognition just weeks after launching, taking top honours. ThunderDonk spiced maple was awarded gold and named country winner as the top liqueur from New Zealand. ThunderDonk Salted Caramel was also recognised, earning a silver medal. The World Drinks Awards are a prestigious global competition which celebrates excellence across the drinks industry. At this year's edition thousands of entries were tasted and critiqued by an expert panel of judges. "We launched ThunderDonk with a bold vision, to create the best-tasting flavoured whisky in the world, and we're beyond thrilled to see it recognised on the global stage," Scapegrace co-founder Daniel McLaughlin said. "These awards are a testament to the incredible team behind the product as well as the dedication that went into developing this bold and boundary-pushing flavoured whisky." The win means ThunderDonk spiced maple will advance to the final stage of the competition, where winners will go head-to-head to determine the coveted world's best titles, set to be announced on June 4. ThunderDonk is crafted using single-malt whisky from Scapegrace's distillery in Central Otago. The drink blends aged whisky with flavour-forward innovation to deliver a balance of sweet, savoury and spice. "Flavoured whisky is booming globally, and ThunderDonk is here to shake things up. ''It has a name that captures its spirit and it's designed to be shared and enjoyed, whether neat, in a cocktail, or as a chilled shot." Scapegrace Gin was awarded World's Best London Dry Gin at the prestigious International Wine & Spirits Competition in London in 2018. All Scapegrace spirits are crafted at New Zealand's largest distillery, purpose-built by the brand on the banks of Lake Dunstan in Central Otago. — APL
