“What’s become clear over the years is that these buildings are made to last. There’s very little maintenance required, they stay very fresh and up-to-date looking. In the future, we are looking to add some more 3-bedroom units to our inventory and will revisit the Lockwood system. For resorts, I can highly recommend Lockwood.”
– Rob Grant, Sea Change Villas
The search for something special for the construction of its exclusive honeymoon accommodation led Sea Change Villas to choose Lockwood Homes. Starting in 2003 with an initial three buildings, each featuring three bedrooms with their own individual private swimming pools, lagoon views, and tropical surroundings, Sea Change Villas has since expanded to 12 units, offering a private and upmarket alternative to the more conventional hotel style accommodation available in Rarotonga.
Rob Grant, who runs Sea Change Villas, says the vision for the property was to ‘stand out from the crowd’ by offering quality, highly-appointed villas in conjunction with outstanding, personalised customer service, for the ultimate Cook Island experience.
The construction of the buildings plays a key part in delivering on that vision: “[Back in 2003] Lockwood was doing a visit to the islands when I first met up and discussed the idea of developing our executive 3 bedrooms villas,” he recalls.
“The plan was simple. We ideally wanted structures that were cyclone-proof, which looked good and were fast to build. Of course, I also wanted what I designed.”
While Grant’s specification and vision are straightforward, not many buildings could fit his exacting standards. But one did. “Lockwood ticked all these boxes and more,” he confirms.
The Sea Change Villas team sent through plans to the Lockwood factory in Rotorua, where the pre-manufactured wall system for the buildings was created and then shipped out to Rarotonga. “They created the building system as per the plans; we have used all the wall components, but not the ceilings. Here, we opted for a truss system.”
A hands-on individual, Grant trained builders on the island to erect the pre-fabricated building system, with support from Lockwood itself. “Lockwood supplied a qualified builder to assist us to get the first one built,” he explains.
Fifteen years on, the quality Lockwood construction has taken in its stride multiple storms, cyclones and the relentless tropical heat of the Cook Islands. “What’s become clear over the years is that these buildings are made to last. There’s very little maintenance required, they stay very fresh and up-to-date looking,” says Grant.
And when quality and ambience are essential components of a luxury experience, Lockwood shines. “Guests love the holiday feel which comes with the timbre of the interior. And it’s a big plus that cleanliness is always easy to achieve.”
With those great results over an extended period of time, Grant has no hesitation in backing Lockwood as a solution for commercial or hospitality buildings. “In the future, we are looking to add some more 3-bedroom units to our inventory and will revisit the Lockwood system. For resorts, I can highly recommend Lockwood.”
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