Sunshade were stoked to be recognised at this year’s national OFPANZ Awards for Excellence in Nelson, for two separate pieces of work.
Two of our local experts were awarded – Mike Atwood in the Waikato took out the top prize in the Residential Shade Sails category, and Mark Hannan in Hawke’s Bay received a Highly Commended in the Commercial Shade Sail section.
The OFPANZ Awards are designed to celebrate design and workmanship, and winners have to show the challenges they had to overcome and that they have created an overall positive and lasting impression.
From the landscaper’s concept to reality this was a true test of our skills. Experienced Waikato installer Mike Atwood was brought in to finesse a cool-looking shade sail concept, and make it work to adhere to the core principles of shade sail design, detail and robustness.
The installation features 3 triangle and 2 rectangle sails, fabricated in our Hastings workshop using Z16 architectural shade cloth in Charcoal. Set in Hamilton’s Highbrook subdivision, the sails needed to provide shade and shelter for not just the north-facing deck but also the home’s interior, in an extreme high wind zone.
A stuck concrete truck and a digger that couldn’t reach above the retaining wall all added to the challenge! And all through Covid lockdowns which added layers to the communications and our ability to make things happen on site.
But Mike and the customer came through and we now have a landscape client who has asked for more quotes since, so well done Mike and the team on this impressive effort and show of skill.
Wairoa College asked our local Hawke’s Bay licensee Mark to create a large range of shaded spaces across the school grounds, to provide much-needed UV protection for rangatahi. The shades needed to tie in with the existing environment and established trees, be resistant to graffiti, meet the budget and stand up to the high wind zone.
The main complexity of this job was the scale and sheer number of sails and posts involved (10 sails, 29 posts!).
Another challenge was the location, in a small rural town about 120kms from our business.
You can learn more about the project here.
The result is a serious set of shade sails and sun protection for the students, and we’re proud to have created a stylish set of architectural shades that invite rangatahi to hang out in a variety of spaces.
We also wish to acknowledge our Auckland local expert, Seaton Meredith, who entered the blinds and screens category for this awesome custom PVC screen installation at a rustic rural barn-style property.
While the project didn’t receive a gong, it is still an impressive piece of work!
Sunshade Group Ltd co-Director Suzanne Hoyt was delighted with the wins.
“I feel all of our local experts are very deserving because we know how hard they have been working. Mike is 10 years + experienced in the shade sail world but continues to rise to new challenges and expand his expertise with examples like this award-winning Highbrook job,” says Suzanne.
“Mark on the other hand has a 20 year legacy working with shade sails and screen systems and has kind of become our ‘Yoda’ – his attention to detail and ability to carry out these large scale jobs with precision is a testament to an owner/operator who has really honed his craft.”
“In addition to our Sunshade local experts taking out two categories this year, we are also delighted to have two of our workshop apprentices receive accolades in the Apprentice of the Year. One team member was named Tier 1 Apprentice of the Year, and the other received the Highly Commended.”
“Overall this year’s awards offered some great recognition of the hard work our teams put in.”
Browse our shade sails here, or check out our solutions with premium high-grade umbrellas and outdoor blinds here, or simply contact us now and we’ll guide you through.
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