●Wānaka & Central Otago
808 is an architectural building company delivering high-quality projects throughout Wānaka and Central Otago.
01
Who we are
We take a hands-on approach and are drawn to complex projects where careful execution and craftsmanship make a visible difference.
A fully project-managed service from start to finish, working closely with clients and letting them be as involved as they’d like.
2019
Established, Wānaka
10+
Years in the industry
NZCB
Certified Builders member
LBP
Licensed Building Practitioner
Member of New Zealand Certified Builders, the only builder association here that requires a recognised carpentry trade qualification to join.
02
Work
01
Restaurant & bar fit-out · Wānaka
A bare block shell on Wānaka’s main street turned into a restaurant and bar. Whole timber posts left in the round, board-formed and blockwork walls, exposed aggregate floor, a wood-fired oven, and a bar built as joinery rather than carpentry. Almost every surface a customer touches was made rather than bought.
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New build · under construction
A new architectural build, currently at framing stage. Worth showing unfinished. This is what the middle of a job actually looks like, and the part most builders never photograph.
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Completed home · Central Otago
A finished architectural home: cedar cladding, black joinery, a cantilevered upper storey over a sheltered deck, and full-height glazing folding the living room out onto it. The kind of junction where the setout has to be right the first time.
Project photography by Larkin Photography
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Concrete
We specialise in bespoke concrete work, from architectural off-form walls and tilt panel construction through to refined interior elements. It’s an area where we enjoy getting creative and working closely with clients to bring unique ideas to life.
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How it works
01
A call or a site visit. You tell me the brief, I tell you honestly whether I’m the right builder for it and roughly what you’re looking at.
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We work with your architect and drawings from early on, so buildability and cost get raised while they are still cheap to change.
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Programme, subcontractors, suppliers and council — handled. One point of contact throughout, and you stay as involved as you’d like.
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Finished to a standard I’ll happily put my name to, because in a district this size the work is the only marketing that matters.
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James
“I enjoy taking on projects that are a bit out of the ordinary.”
James Chapman · Director, Licensed Builder
I grew up in Mid Canterbury, living and working on the family farm. After finishing school in Christchurch, I made the move to Wānaka in 2015 to begin my building apprenticeship, which I completed in 2019.
Since then, I’ve gained a wide range of experience, from minor renovations through to high-end architectural builds and bespoke multi-unit developments. With over 10 years in the industry, I offer a fully project-managed service from start to finish, while working closely with my clients letting them be as involved as they’d like.
I enjoy taking on projects that are a bit out of the ordinary, ideas that challenge me and push the boundaries, and delivering them to a standard I can be proud of. I have a strong appreciation for high-end features and understand that, for many clients, these represent significant personal investment. I approach every project with that in mind.
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Contact
Whether you’re in the early stages of a project or ready to break ground, we’d love to hear from you.
Based
Wānaka, Central Otago
Aotearoa New Zealand
Direct
