What we’re building next: High-Performance Homes, Built for Central Otago Living

Discover why we’re considering Flexi’s panelised building system for our new family

home in Shannon Farm — and how performance building is evolving in Central

Otago.

A Winter Visit That Sparked a Partnership

Around this time last year, my wife Amy (the better half of Scott Ede Design) bundled

up in the depths of a crisp Central Otago winter and drove out to Pisa Moorings to

visit a showhome. Not for our own project — not yet anyway — but on behalf of Mark

Anderson from MA Building, a performance builder based in Wānaka.

The visit was to see a Flexi House in action.

She met André and the team, got the walk-through, and came away both excited and

a little shocked — not just because the air inside was warm, fresh, and still — but

because it all felt so familiar. The simplicity. The performance. The silence. The

warmth. It reminded her of the passive homes we’d spent time in over in Wānaka.

And yet, this was a different kind of system: fast, panellised, and built to suit real life.

What Is Flexi House?

Flexi is part of a growing shift in New Zealand’s building industry toward smarter,

faster, and healthier ways to build.

Their approach is based around off-site panellised construction, meaning the walls

and structure are built in a factory-controlled environment and then assembled on-

site — airtight, lock-up-ready, and weatherproof in a matter of days. Their system is:

High-performance — designed to achieve exceptional thermal performance and

energy efficiency.

Durable and low-waste — built in a way that reduces waste and protects against

weather delays.

Faster to build — because the panels are pre-made, you’re not waiting on good

weather or long build times.

Designed for real families — layouts and forms that are achievable, simple, and

smart.

Flexi works closely with local designers and builders across New Zealand (now

including us), so the result is a collaborative build that’s well-suited to your site, your

lifestyle, and your goals.

From That Winter Visit to Our Own Build

Fast forward 12 months, and we’re getting ready to design and build our own home

at Shannon Farm. Rather than defaulting to the usual “tick-the-box” spec — four

bedrooms, two bathrooms, big everything — we’re flipping the script.

• We want a home that works hard for our family of five.

• Warm in winter, cool in summer

• Airtight and fresh, without mechanical overkill

• Durable, low-maintenance materials

• Strong indoor-outdoor flow and spaces that get used

• And after that visit last year? It’s a no-brainer to explore building with Flexi.

We’re now officially partnering with Flexi to bring more high-performance homes to

Central Otago. That means if you’re building locally, you’ll hopefully start to see more

Flexi projects coming to life — and if things go to plan, you’ll be able to come along

for the ride on ours.

What’s Ahead: A Real Kiwi Flexi Home at Shannon Farm

We’re still early in the process, but the vision is clear: a real family home that reflects

what’s possible when performance meets practicality.

Together with Flexi, we’re exploring:

Filming major milestones like when the panels go in, and how the house goes up in

just a few days.

An open home you can walk through (because sometimes seeing is believing)

Creating space for Central Otago locals to come and learn — whether you're thinking

about building, renovating, or just want to see how performance and design can work

together.

We’ll be documenting the journey through Scott Ede Design and our Central Otago

network, so keep an eye on Instagram, our email list, or our website for more

updates as things unfold.

Building Smarter, Not Bigger

There’s a growing shift happening here in Central. Clients, builders, and designers

are all starting to ask better questions:

• How much house do we really need?

• How do we reduce running costs, not just build costs?

• What materials make sense for this climate?

• What will this house feel like to live in?

The Flexi Panel System answers a lot of these questions. It’s not about building

more. It’s about building smarter, and better — for the long haul.

Let’s Build Better, Together

We’re proud to be part of Flexi’s growing network of design and build partners across

New Zealand, and even prouder to help bring this kind of building to our own

backyard here in Central Otago.

If you’re curious about how Flexi might work for your own build — or want to know

more about what performance design actually means in practice — get in touch.

We’re happy to share what we’re learning and what this journey looks like, from

concept to completion.

We’ll keep you posted.

Get In Touch