A high-end, bespoke fence that complements a modern Christchurch new-build

In early 2019, a golden opportunity arose in the leafy suburb of Merivale in Christchurch. An empty 1530sqm site whose northwest side backs onto the quaint Wairarapa Stream was put on the market – and its prime location, ideal site orientation and almost substantial architectural potential drew a fair bit of attention in the market.

A couple of months later, it was snapped up by enthusiastic buyers – and after a bit of time, they engaged Simon Construction, a local building company familiar with the area, to build the home. Bounded by the meandering stream to the northwest, the owners wanted a similarly striking delineation between the street and the property – so the team at Simon Construction got in touch with Warner Fences & Gates to assist.

Peter Eden, Warner Fences & Gates’ GM for Canterbury, says the homeowner’s vision for the entire project – the house, the landscaping, and indeed the fencing and gate – all needed to be cohesive. To this end, the team at Warner was tasked with both designing and constructing a fence that would match and enhance the architectural details of the home itself, as the primary feature seen from the street.

“It was a strict requirement from the homeowner that it complemented the modern design of their new home,” says Eden. “He had an idea of what he wanted from what he’d seen elsewhere, and it just so happened that that design was similar to our own Taranaki Aluminium 50x25 fin-style fencing.

“From there, all it took was a meeting with our sales and project manager, Daniel Bryant, and we soon had a bespoke design agreed upon and quoted – influenced by the Taranaki product, but with its own distinctive and modern look.

“It certainly has been noticed within the industry and looks striking.”

All of the joinery in the fencing and gate is powder coated in Colorsteel’s Flaxpod Matt – a colour that blends seamlessly into the dark cedar weatherboard behind, the upright panels of the gate lining up with the vertical cladding boards.

“Of course, we have our own standard designs and material sizes that we prefer to work with,” Eden says, “but our main advantage is being able to supply products custom-made to fit the site and customers’ requirements, using New Zealand-sourced materials, manufactured and power-coated in our Christchurch factory.”

It wasn’t all about looks: the owner was also conscious about security. The gate, which utilises an automatic sliding drive mechanism, is equipped with safety beams.

“There’s also an additional pedestrian gate, which is on self-closing hinges, and includes a maglock, integrated keypad and audio/video intercom,” says Eden. “This enables full remote control of the gate.”

Vehicle gate motors are equipped with Bluetooth – so upon approach from either foot or car, users can easily open each gate with a quick touch on their phone remotely or through the keypad, eliminating the need for a separate remote control.

The gate, which utilises an automatic sliding drive mechanism, is equipped with safety beams.

The automation, as well as the Fast24 motor for the gate, are all powered by DEA, a hyper-specialist Italian company that supplies high-end hardware and software for gates in residential, commercial and industrial applications. The Fast 24 is a 24-volt motor with battery back-up, so operation continues if there is a power cut.

“All of this combines to an exceptionally smooth experience – after inputting commands on your phone, the gate opens and closes smoothly and quietly at 16 metres per minute.”

Completed late last year, it was one of the final elements of the street-facing portion of the property to close out the new-build – and the clients were so happy with the result that they engaged Warner for work in the rear of the property, too.

“They were thrilled with the result of the gate and fencing,” says Eden. “We went on to supply the client a number of Warner louvre gates to their pool pump shed and gas/bin storage areas.

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