JCC Build

𝗥𝗡𝗭 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪: The Gold Award recognised the build. But it’s the story behind the build that’s got people talking 🏡🎧

Since Riverside Renewal received its Gold Award, it’s not just the craftsmanship behind the renovation that has been attracting attention – it’s the thinking behind the home itself.

Sue, Kevin and Mary’s decision to create their own alternative to more traditional retirement living caught the attention of RNZ’s Checkpoint, who recently invited Sue on to talk about how the idea came about and, importantly, how it’s actually working now.

It clearly got them thinking too, with the presenter telling Sue they had “a few of us in the office reimagining retirement today.”

The conversation touches on some really interesting parts of their story – future-proofing the home, accessibility, sharing some of the costs and day-to-day responsibilities, having the security of someone else nearby, and what life together has been like 18 months on.

🎧 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗲’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗡𝗭 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲:
👉 https://jccbuild.nz/media/rnz-covering-riverside-renewal-renovation

And RNZ aren’t the only ones to take an interest in the story. The Waikato Times has also featured Riverside Renewal, looking more closely at the home and the friends’ approach to planning for the years ahead:
👉 https://jccbuild.nz/media/waikato-times-covering-riverside-renewal-renovation

While the Gold Award was a special recognition of the craftsmanship behind this project, it’s been equally nice to see the idea behind it prompt a wider conversation too.

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 🌍
Now for a little change of pace from what we’ve been posting lately... Earlier last month, Will stepped away from the day-to-day at JCC Build and joined his son Malachi and a group from Hamilton Boys’ High School on the school’s first Wilderness Education South Africa Trip.

It was much more than a safari. The group explored the wilderness on foot, slept outside under the stars, learnt about wildlife conservation and spent time with a local Zulu community, sharing a meal, helping paint one of the local homes and, before long, getting a game of football going with the local kids.

For Will, it was a pretty special opportunity to experience something completely different alongside Malachi, step away from the busyness of everyday life and simply be present. And being able to step away for two weeks was only possible because he knew the JCC Build team had everything covered back home.

A big thank you as well to Wild Connection South Africa, who coordinated the trip with HBHS and helped give the group such a memorable experience.

We’ve put together a few highlights from the trip in this video, and shared more of the story and some of Will’s favourite photographs on our website: https://jccbuild.nz/media/will-malachi-south-africa-wilderness-trip

Hamilton Boys' High School

𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀: JCC Strikes Gold! 🏆

The results are in, and we’re incredibly proud to share that Riverside Renewal has received a Regional Gold Award at the 2026 Waikato Master Builders House of the Year Awards!

The project was recognised in the Renovation $1 million–$2 million category at last night’s Waikato Awards Gala Dinner. After sharing the story behind Riverside Renewal over the past few weeks, it was a very special moment to hear JCC Build called up on the night.

While we’re proud of what this award represents, we're even more proud of the people behind it. A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful clients, Sue, Kevin and Mary, for trusting us with their home. To Team JCC Build, NEST Interiors & Design, our subcontractors and suppliers, thank you for the care, craftsmanship and commitment you brought to this project. This Gold Award belongs to all of you.

It was a brilliant evening celebrating the exceptionally high standard of building across the Waikato. Here are a few highlights from the night, with more official photography and details to come.

Check out more details from the night: https://jccbuild.nz/media/jcc-build-wins-gold-house-of-the-year-2026

Master Builders

𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗: Riverside Renewal with Nest Interiors 🏡🎥

Ahead of tomorrow night’s Waikato House of the Year Awards Gala, we’re sharing another part of the Riverside Renewal story.

In this video, Tonga from NEST Interiors & Design reflects on the expertise she brought to several of the home’s more challenging spaces, along with the collaborative process of working with the JCC Build team.

Projects like this come together through the ideas, experience and shared problem-solving, and we’re proud of what the wider team achieved. https://jccbuild.nz/our-work/riverside-renewal

We hope you enjoy this 'behind the build' feature, and we look forward to sharing the results from the HOY Gala tomorrow night!

𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗔𝗟: Our 2026 House of the Year entry 😍🏡

Following on from our teaser a few weeks back, we are proud to introduce "Riverside Renewal", our official entry in the 2026 Master Builders House of the Year Awards!

Riverside Renewal began with a thoughtful idea: to create a home where close friends could live independently while sharing the comfort and connection of a single property. Bringing that vision to life meant carefully reworking a century-old home from the inside out, opening up better spaces and Waikato River views, adding accessibility for the years ahead, and retaining as much of the original materials/character as possible.

This video offers a visual look through the finished home. Visit the full project showcase to explore the renovation in more detail 👉 https://jccbuild.nz/our-work/riverside-renewal

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
• A clever dual-living layout designed to provide independent living under one roof.
• Integrated accessibility features, including a multi-level residential lift and level-entry bathrooms.
• A sustainable focus on salvaging and reinstating original native timber joinery, floorboards, and bricks.
• Strategic use of VELUX skylights to bring natural light deep into the reconfigured upper living spaces.

A special shoutout to Tonga from NEST Interiors & Design for her design work and spatial planning on this project. 👏

If you are planning a complex renovation or starting to gather ideas for a unique project, we would love to help. To talk through your ideas or get some expert advice, feel free to reach out to our team: https://jccbuild.nz/contact-us

𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝟮: 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗲 𝗞𝗼𝘄𝗵𝗮𝗶 🏉
Following on from our HBHS sponsorship update a couple of weeks ago, we'd love to highlight another fantastic local rugby community.

This season, JCC Build is once again supporting the Te Kowhai Sports Club rugby programme. You'll spot our logo on the jerseys, while Will and Murray from the JCC Build team are also helping coach one of the junior teams, the TK Hurricanes.

We recently captured some highlights from the club's game day at Waikato Stadium before the players headed into the school holiday break. It was a fantastic day of rugby, beautiful weather, and plenty of smiles all around.

Check out the video below, and we've also shared a selection of great photos from the day on our blog: https://jccbuild.nz/media/sponsorship-spotlight-backing-grassroots-rugby-in-te-kowhai

A big thank you to all the volunteers, coaches, organisers, parents, and supporters who make junior rugby possible each season. Clubs like Te Kowhai Sports Club thrive because of the people behind the scenes, and we're grateful to play a small part in supporting that effort.

Good luck to the TK Hurricanes and everyone at Te Kowhai Sports Club for the rest of the season. We can't wait to see you back out there next term! 💪🏉


Te Kowhai Junior Rugby

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗦𝗼 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁? 🏠
If you’re thinking about building or renovating, it usually starts with a simple prompt. A kitchen that could work better. A home that feels too small. A layout that no longer suits the way your family lives. Or maybe a house that could be warmer, lighter, easier to use, or better prepared for the years ahead.

The hard part is often knowing when to take the first step. With building costs, interest rates, and broader cost-of-living pressures all weighing on people’s minds, it’s understandable that many homeowners are asking: “Should we wait?”

But getting started does not mean rushing into construction or signing a contract before you’re ready. It can simply mean asking the right questions early enough to understand what is realistic, what your options are, and what information you need before making bigger decisions.

In our latest article, we look at:
✅ Why timing feels difficult in the current market
✅ The hidden cost of delaying a project that is already affecting daily life
✅ Why builder input early in the design process can reduce surprises later
✅ A simple roadmap from early ideas to getting on-site

Read the full article here 👉 https://jccbuild.nz/media/when-should-you-start-your-new-build-or-renovation

Whether you’re planning a new build, renovation, extension, or future-focused upgrade, the first step isn't always committing. Sometimes, it’s simply getting clarity. 👌

If you want to talk through your ideas or understand what a sensible next step might look like, get in touch with our team: https://jccbuild.nz/contact-us

𝗪𝗲’𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿! ✨🏡
We’re proud to share that JCC Build has entered the 2026 Master Builders House of the Year Awards!

This year, we’ve put forward a very special renovation that reflects the care, craftsmanship and attention to detail our team brings to complex building projects.

Judging has already taken place, and the Waikato Regional Awards Gala is coming up later in July, where the results will be announced.

What makes this entry special to us is not just the transformed home but the people behind it: our clients, our team, our trusted subtrades, and the process of bringing a meaningful renovation to life with innovation, excellence, and integrity.

We’ll be sharing the full project reveal soon, but for now, here’s a small part of the story from the people who trusted us with their home.

https://jccbuild.nz/media/jcc-build-enters-2026-house-of-the-year-awards

Master Builders NEST Interiors & Design