Helping more locals into quality, affordable homes has made Tewa Banks a genuinely rewarding project for Breen.

Delivered in partnership with the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust, the 68-home development provides affordable rental and rent-to-own opportunities for local residents. It also continues a long-standing relationship between Breen and the Trust, with at least 188 homes delivered together across the region – spanning Queenstown and Arrowtown, as well as Wanaka and Hawea. The majority have been designed by Breen.

For Queenstown Area Manager Bradley Cross, the project is about more than construction. “I think what the Trust is doing to help local households with real housing needs put down roots in this district is pretty cool to be a part of,” he says.

A defining feature of Tewa Banks is its focus on liveability. The development includes five different house types, from accessible one-bedroom homes through to three-bedroom family houses, creating a neighbourhood with genuine variety. Standalone homes, duplexes and terraced housing are connected by shared green spaces, while the terraced site has been carefully planned to maximise outlook and sunlight.

“The architects need a pat on the back,” says Bradley. “Every house has got a good view because it’s terraced. They’re not all boxed in, and there’s a good mix of homes. It’s not one of those subdivisions where everything looks exactly the same.”

Long-term comfort and performance have also been central to the project. The homes incorporate an innovative ground-source heating system designed to improve energy efficiency and help keep heating costs down. Being relatively new technology, it has required close collaboration between the design team, heating contractor and Breen as the systems have been refined.

“It’s going to be a really good heating product and really efficient,” Bradley says.

Delivering a project of this scale has relied on sustained partnership and meticulous coordination. Breen has managed a large team of consultants, local subcontractors and suppliers – including lead builder Parsons Build – while working closely with the Trust through weekly site meetings.

“First and foremost is quality,” says Bradley. “At the end of the day, we both have the quality of the end product as our highest priority. They want good, nicely built, high-quality homes for eligible locals, and we want to know we’ve put our best foot forward as part of this worthy cause.”

With the project now entering its final stages, the team is looking forward to welcoming the remaining eligible families into their new homes in the near future.

“The more our team can do to help the community, the better. If we can be part of these kinds of solutions, then that’s ideal.”