The International is an elegant apartment building in the Auckland CBD, offering a sophisticated sanctuary that blends the best of a city lifestyle with secure, private luxury in 90 spacious apartments over 17 levels. While the apartments were always well-appointed after five years living in theirs, the owners understood the aspects they liked, and where they could shape the space to suit their aesthetic and lifestyle.
Embarking on a complete renovation and interior redesign was also the opportunity to rework the home around the technologies and home automation systems befitting this stylish modern space. Combining their personal passion for home automation, with the skills of Tristan and his detail-oriented team at Esquire Electrical, the finished apartment is a testament to attention to detail, and the subtle integration of technology for a sleek modern home.
One of the first features you notice are the stylish silver of the Schneider Clipsal Solis T Series switches and outlets invoking memories of stylish audiophile equipment - elegantly functional. This is one of the first uses of these newly released switches in New Zealand. Behind the switches are Shelly smart dimming units that integrate a host of options into the home’s lighting. From the warmth of the light to the intensity, they’re common features, all cleverly controllable at the point of use, but also from the Home Assistant automation app. It also allows the owners oversight of energy consumption and the option to adjust the light according to the time of day. CCT tuneable LED strips are used throughout the apartment, offering the flexibility of adjustment from bright, clear white to a warm subdued ambient light for the evenings. The owners also have options. Tristan has prewired sections of the ceiling for future changes and to accommodate a growing art collection.
In the kitchen the sleek lines of the flowing surfaces with the organic dark marbled lines of Prime Porcelain panels in Calacatta Black belie the technology woven into the surfaces. Switching on the Fisher and Paykel induction cooktop cleverly activates the fans in the hood – a trick worked into the system by Tristan that incorporates a circuit to detect amperage shifts. The smooth dark wall panel has two subtle power points incorporated, blending practical function into the form discretely.
The entertainer’s kitchen is open to the living area, with natural light through the day, but blinds that lower at a touch, for a cozy night making the most of the Yamaha audio system. Esquire assisted with carefully integrating the audio componentry, all hardwired for sound fidelity, and the AV cabling and of course the network connections.
The Esquire Electrical team have ensured that the bathroom is lit perfectly, with illumination cleverly reflected through mirrors without compromising the elegance of the fittings or the mood of the space. Relaxing into the bath, you’re also bathed in soft lighting illuminating without being intrusive.
The owners appreciated the expertise and insightful extra thinking that Tristan and the Esquire team brought to the job. The attention to the smallest details, such as aligning all light switches in the space at the same height using a laser level, and future-proof wiring for alternative home theatre speaker arrangements have contributed to an overall design that realises their ambitions for the apartment - Seamless, stylish and incredibly smart.
When Collins Plumbing, Gas & Heating completed their purpose-built headquarters they had an eye on the future so the next step in future-proofing their business, and investment, was clear. A large warehouse roof, a growing energy load, and a business built on keeping pace with smart construction trends - solar wasn't just a nice idea, it was the smart one.
Esquire Electrical, led by Tristan Phillips were engaged to develop a solution that took advantage of the site, and ample roof area. Tristan and Simon Collins sat down, to evaluate not just what was needed now, but what future growth would demand.
The project was designed to be phased, with an initial installation that has already proven its worth. In just X days Tristan’s team installed a 29.9kW three-phase GoodWe Hybrid inverter with 64 Suntech 585W panels across the warehouse roof.
Using just half of the available roof area it that delivers 37,400 watts of solar capacity in total, flush-mounted on the building's natural 8-degree pitch using a Clenergy racking system. Annual generation is estimated at an incredible 50 megawatt hours. Compare that to the annual power costs for a building of this size, and it doesn’t take much to see how the investment to makes sense, especially with the increasing costs of electricity.
The array operates above 600V DC, which under New Zealand regulations is only permitted on commercial sites. To meet the mandatory restricted-access requirements for the inverter and isolators - without drilling into the warehouse's concrete floor - Tristan and the Esquire Electrical team modified and clamped heavy-duty temporary fencing panels into a fully compliant enclosure. It’s practical, regulation-ready, and completely reversible, making it a great solution for leased premises, but in this case it allows more flexibility for the next installation phase.
The GoodWe Hybrid Inverter was chosen specifically for its ability to integrate battery storage down the track. Stage Two will add more panels and a large-scale battery system, designed to work alongside the building's high-efficiency heating and cooling to take the facility as close to fully self-sufficient as possible. It makes the rural building not just resilient, but more comfortable for the daily grind, keeping staff happy and healthy – that means less sick days and more productivity.
Collins recommends renewable energy solutions to clients every day. Having a fully operational, commercially scaled solar system at their own headquarters isn't just good business — it's proof of concept. Stage One is running. The rest is already in motion.
