Case Study: Creating a Dedicated Space for Glenn Richard’s Race Cars

Background “I needed a new, purpose built workshop”

Glenn’s involvement in the car racing industry meant he needed a good amount of workshop space as well as storage area for car parts and mechanical equipment. He’d run out of space in his current barn which also housed his tractor and other non-racing equipment. Glenn was considering an extension when a conversation with his neighbour convinced him a new, standalone building would be a smarter choice. “It seemed obvious after that chat,” says Glenn. “A purpose-built space for the race cars was what I needed.”

Supplier selection “Things just gelled with KiwiSpan”

Glenn looked at the local options and decided to proceed with KiwiSpan. “They seemed to be doing the sort of thing I was looking for,” says Glenn. “And a good referral gave me confidence it was the right call,” he adds. 

“They asked what I needed in a building, and showed me lots of their work to compare styles and features – lots of valuable stuff came out of that and it really cemented the deal. Things just gelled with KiwiSpan.”

Design phase “I knew what I needed, but their input made the designs even better”

To Glenn, it was obvious where the new building had to go. He was based in the country and his piece of land had a relatively flat area near the existing shed. 

As a separate, standalone building Glenn could opt for a more modern aesthetic than the current building. He planned to keep the tractor and other things in the old shed, leaving this new building as a, dedicated space for the race cars. It would be clean, tidy, and dust free… and the exterior needed to emulate the clean modern tone.

“KiwiSpan helped enormously with the designs”, says Glenn. “With their expertise, I got the best possible outcomes for my money.” For example, when KiwiSpan told Glenn it wouldn’t cost much more for wider roller doors (only higher doors), he opted for really wide doors. “This has helped enormously with access and manoeuvrability,” says Glenn.

Another feature that added huge value to Glenn was the awning which extends over the roller doors. ”It’s added a lot more usable space by keeping the doors covered – if it’s raining you don’t lose any workspace or have to worry about things getting wet,” says Glenn. “The cantilever style was my idea – there’s no support poles to worry about the cars hitting. Visually, the lack of external structure makes things look really clear and tidy too.” Cladding the underside of the awning in white Colorsteel also helped with lighting the working areas. “The white surface reflects light down into the space, both during the day and night,” says Glenn.

Glenn needed a mezzanine level for extra storage space. Originally it didn’t fit in the plans so KiwiSpan worked with Glenn to raise the height of the whole building to accommodate a high functioning  mezzanine level. “It didn’t dramatically change the overall cost, but added value in many ways” says Glenn. “The extra height is great for bigger vehicles and in manoeuvring our car hoist. It’s also made the mezzanine more usable as we can stand up there and have more space to move large car parts around.

KiwiSpan designed a roller gate on the mezzanine lever to allow for easier access to the storage space. “Some large parts won’t fit up the stairwell, so this gate opens up the balustrade and now we can hoist big items straight up there,” says Glenn. “I’d requested a gate and KiwiSpan came back with this rolling gate suggestion – it’s better, more space efficient, than a swing gate. Their solution has worked, it’s good.”

A ventilation unit installed in the ceiling ensures heat doesn’t build up and fresh air continues to circulate. “It’s something I wanted – KiwiSpan estimated the price to gauge how serious I was, and then the quote came in very close,” says Glenn. “They were on the money, and I went with it.”

KiwiSpan also suggested underground pipework from the tank to the shed. “Little things like that were great,” says Glenn, who had assumed the pipes would run overground.

Construction “It was done really well, very professional”

One of the reasons Glenn had chosen KiwiSpan was that they could project manage the whole job – from getting quotes and council permits through to managing all the sub contractors. “They knew what was needed and just made it happen – all with complete transparency of costs,” says Glenn. “It meant that when it came to construction, I didn’t need to do anything except stay out of the way, and it worked.”

Built recently, Glenn’s project suffered delays due to Covid-19. “It was difficult to get going with all the supply issues,” says Glenn. “But KiwiSpan were very honest about the delays and timing – it was an evolving story and they kept the communication lines open.”

It was all done really well – very professionally managed,” says Glenn. “I wouldn’t have got the same result if I’d tried to do it myself.”

The sales guy at KiwiSpan had persuaded Glenn to paint the floor which he highly recommends to others now. “Poxy resin is such a pain, but you MUST do it,” says Glenn. “It really finished the shed.” With painted concrete floors, Glenn’s new shed looked better and became far easier to keep clean. “Various people have come to use this space but because it is clean and looks clean, they keep it that way,” he says.

Finished result… “It’s perfect – I’m very happy indeed”

With no changes during the construction phase, the final costs were in line with what had been agreed. “KiwiSpan were really good at always talking about the cost impact during design changes – they were really transparent so I knew what to expect all the way through,” says Glenn. 

It’s one thing seeing a design on paper and another thing altogether to use the finished building. “It’s working really well, in fact, it’s perfect,” says Glenn. Having a dedicated building for the race cars gave Glenn the clean, tidy space he needed, along with sufficient storage for the equipment and parts needed to maintain those cars. “It works really well – I’m very happy indeed,” says Glenn.

Whether it’s a workshop, farm shed or industrial building you need, KiwiSpan has a customised shed solution for you. Contact us HERE today to get the ball rolling on your next project.