For years, Queenstown’s soaring property prices have placed home ownership beyond reach for many first-home buyers, leaving a significant gap in one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing communities.

That’s the challenge Gibbons Co. set out to tackle with Five Mile Villas, a 226-home development in Frankton designed to bring high-quality, entry-level housing to the town.

“Our vision was to deliver housing to a region that desperately required it,” says Gibbons Co. Development Manager Tom Gill. “When we acquired the site, the average house price in Queenstown was around $1.3 million and first-home buyers were simply priced out of the market.”

The response spoke for itself, with all 226 architecturally designed freehold homes selling, providing a new pathway into home ownership for hundreds of locals.

But bringing that vision to life was no small feat. Construction began in 2024 and, at its peak, 106 carpenters worked across the site, with tradies brought in from Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland to overcome the region’s labour shortage.

"What really set this project apart was the speed, the quality of the materials used, and the finished environment,” explains Tom. “We started vertical construction in October 2024 and essentially built one home every 1.6 calendar days!”

Meticulous planning underpinned the rapid build programme, with material packs prepared for each housing typology and delivered to site as soon as slabs were poured, helping to minimise waste and keep construction moving.

GIB Weatherline Rigid Air Barrier Systems also played a vital role in maintaining programme efficiency. Selected for its ease of use, as well as its bracing and passive fire performance, GIB Weatherline supported Gibbons Co.’s early close-in methodology, enabling interior trades to start ahead of time.

Not only that, but thanks to the highly-regarded GIB technical support, any potential issues were promptly solved, rather than holding up the work pipeline.

“The level of support the GIB team provided was unmatched. We had a very fluid programme, with weather delays hampering our project, but towards the end we really hit our stride and managed to bring the programme forward. Our merchants were able to work really closely with GIB which allowed us to stay on track.”

In fact, the project was such a success that Tom says they’ll be utilising GIB Weatherline Rigid Air Barrier Systems for a lot more of their projects moving forward. And he is not the only fan. Global Lining’s Christian Castillo installed GIB Weatherline across 70 homes in the Five Mile Villas development, and he is also a keen advocate.

“I’ve used GIB Weatherline on commercial projects for years, but this was the first time I’ve installed it in a residential development,” says Christian. “It’s a really good product to work with — I’ve never had an issue. It’s lightweight, easy to cut and tape and straightforward to install. Having the GIB technical team available whenever we needed advice was a real benefit too.”

Two years on, and Five Mile Villas is home to a thriving community of locals. Gibbons Co. couldn’t be prouder.

"What I'm most proud of is bringing together a really strong team and seeing the vision become something tangible,” says Tom. “Developments of this scale involve so many moving parts, and watching everyone collaborate to deliver something that will genuinely add value to the community has been incredibly rewarding.”