The Papakāinga you create for you and your whānau should be high-quality, comfortable and designed to last. Building with prefab makes it easier and faster to create these homes – with greater certainty around cost, timeframe and quality. 

This blog covers some recent Advance Build Papakāinga projects, why they’ve worked and the practical tips and insights that will help you plan your own successful build.

Papakāinga projects in action

Since 2008, Advance Build has been supporting communities to plan and build homes. These recent Advance Build Papakāinga projects highlight what’s possible when smart design, efficient construction and strong partnerships come together.

Kaingahoa Marae Papakāinga project

Project highlight

The speed of delivery. Once we had broken ground in November, it took only 5 months to deliver 5 new homes – including full infrastructure and major retaining walls. On top of the new builds, 5 existing homes were completely renovated. 

Location: Rawhiti, Bay of Islands
Community partners: Kaingahoa Marae, Te Pouahi O Te Tai Tokerau and Foundation North
Number of homes: 5
Other works completed: Upgrading existing homes and infrastructure 
Time to build: 5 months

Goals + challenges

The Rawhiti community wanted to build 5 new homes and upgrade existing ones. They also needed to redo some older infrastructure. Despite the challenges (flooding risks, coastal conditions and the need for an onsite wastewater system), the team delivered a smart, cost-certain solution that met the client’s budget. 

What Advance Build delivered

5 new homes customised from the Weekender 1 floorplan. These modern, spacious homes feature two bedrooms and a bathroom, along with open plan living, kitchen and dining areas. The ideal space for growing, active families. 

Tirita Cherrington whānau

Project highlight

A full turnkey development that delivered quality homes and lasting community infrastructure in just 12 months.

Location: Kawakawa, Northland
Community partner: Te Puni Kōkiri 
Number of homes: 4 
Other works completed: Site works and infrastructure (including a road, water tanks and a playground)
Time to build: 12 months

Goals + challenges

Accessing the site from a busy State Highway 1 meant coordinating major roadworks and NZTA approvals. There was also winter weather, a rural landscape and even the discovery of a 1980s telecommunications cable to deal with. A true test of project planning, management and teamwork!

What Advance Build delivered

4 brand new homes based on the Oasis 4, Weekender 2 and Weekender 4 designs. This turnkey project also included building a road and creating a safe, fun playground for the community. Earthworks, water tanks and site power were part of the development, too. 

What the client says

“The team at Advance Build is just superb. There was never a moment that I was never able to reach out and ask for assistance. They’re just the best!”

Nikki Cherrington-Riley

Papakāinga developer

Netana Panapa Papakāinga Housing project

Project highlight

The highly efficient planning, design and build process delivered 10 homes, and 5 cabins in just 7 months.  

Location: Kaihu, Northland
Community partners: Netana Panapa, ahu Whenua Trust, Te Puni Kōkiri and Foundation North
Number of homes: 15 (10 houses and 5 tiny houses)
Other works completed: All site infrastructure and 2 bridges
Time to build: 7 months
Goals + challenges

David and Tracey Panapa had a clear goal: high-quality, comfortable homes their whānau could enjoy for generations to come. They also wanted a simple, straightforward experience – without surprise costs, site chaos or project management to deal with. 

This project came with no shortage of challenges: 2 bridges, protected wildlife and the wild Kaihu winter. But, with smart planning, design and teamwork, the Advance Build team found solutions to keep the build moving. In the end, they delivered the homes far sooner than expected. 

What Advance Build delivered

An efficient, stress-free and seamless journey, together with a transparent relationship that goes beyond business.

What the client says

“Working with Advance Build has been, in Maori terms, miharo. It’s been a blessing. I’m 100% satisfied with Advance Build. I mean, the quality with the houses was second to none for us – they’re warm, healthy homes for our whānau.”

Tracey Panapa

Papakāinga Housing Project

Oraruwharo Ahu Whenua Trust

Project highlight

By running site works and factory construction in tandem, the team saved up to 2 years on the overall build. 

Location: Kaikohe, Northland
Community partner: Oraruwharo 2A Ahu Whenua Trust
Number of homes: 15 (over 3 stages)
Time to build: 11 months

Goals + challenges

To create a community of durable, functional homes – without lengthy delays. 

What Advance Build delivered

15 new homes designed and built to the highest of standards and delivered in 3 stages.  Meanwhile, every step of the project – from concept to completion – was expertly managed by Advance Build’s in-house team. 

What the client says

“The benefits of using Advance Build and…prefabricated homes [is] you can have two parallel work streams. So, we could work on the infrastructure and at the same time, Advance is building the houses in the factory…I wouldn’t hesitate to use Advance again for another Papakāinga.”

Paul Jongenelen

Oraruwharo Trust Project Manager

Lessons from successful Papakāinga projects

While every project is unique, the elements of success are not. Here’s what makes an Advance Build Papakāinga project work:

• Efficient prefabrication and factory build – Homes are constructed in a controlled factory environment, eliminating weather delays and reducing material waste and onsite disruption. This leads to faster delivery and consistent quality.
• Robust resource consenting and infrastructure planning – Expert and ongoing coordination of consents ensure services, site access and approvals run smoothly. This avoids delays down the track.
• Quality assurance and durability – Every home is built to strict quality standards, giving whānau long-lasting, comfortable houses.
• Onsite coordination and project management – Experienced Advance Build project managers keep everything on track – so you don’t have to. From planning to delivery and installation, you’ll enjoy a seamless, straightforward journey.

How can Advance Build support your Papakāinga project?

Working closely with project partners, Advance Build takes care of the entire process. This includes:

• Planning for infrastructure right from the start – Scoping out water, power and wastewater solutions before finalising designs.
• Factoring in site conditions – Looking at soil type, road access and elevation to ensure your prefab homes can be efficiently delivered and connected.
• Allowing for future growth – Using design layouts that can accommodate more homes or communal spaces later on.
• Engaging early with consenting authorities – Addressing council requirements upfront to ensure a streamlined, stress-free approvals process.

How do I start a Papakāinga project with Advance Build?

Knowing what’s ahead gets you comfortable with your Papakāinga journey. 

At Advance Build, your 6-step journey looks like:

1. Project discovery – This is when we talk vision, budget, design and timeframe. It’s all about understanding exactly what you need. We design a scheme plan and budget estimation to deliver on your requirements – whatever they are. 
2. Getting started – You’ll sign the Project Starter Pack and put a deposit down. Then, we engage all technical reports required and obtain a resource consent to make sure we can give you accurate and detailed costings. This phase completes the technical feasibility and sees your project through to shovel-ready status. 
3. The contract – Once we have finalised every detail to suit your requirements, you’ll sign the contract and we’ll move ahead with your final project design. We submit drawings to Council, then the pre-construction team will step in to finalise design documentation and construction.
4. Factory build – The build starts in  our controlled factory environment and is completed in just 8 weeks. You’ll get a weekly update with photos, and are also welcome to visit us in the factory to check on progress. 
5. Onsite construction – Your homes are delivered to the site and expertly installed. Our sites team takes care of everything, ensuring a smooth transition through to handover.
6. Handover – Your build is complete and ready to use! You’ll soon receive the Code Compliance Certificate, along with all relevant warranty information. 

Ready to start on your Papakāinga project?

A prefab Advance Build Papakāinga project means:

• An efficient, time-certain build – no weather delays!
• Cost-certainty – avoiding budget blowouts
• Fixed factory pricing – know what you’re paying upfront, with no surprises along the way 
• Hassle-free project experience, so you can enjoy the journey
• High-quality homes that will last for generations to come
• Customisable designs to fit your whānau’s unique needs
• An experienced, knowledgeable team in your corner who manages every step of the project (including all professional services, reports, consents and council requirements)

Book in a consultation to discuss your Papakāinga project today. Or, check out some of our completed Papakāinga projects here.