David Moses is managing director of building company, Horizon Habitats. He spoke to SCHWARTZWILLIAMS about the company's three wins at the recent Master Builders Association NSW Excellence in Housing Awards.
David Moses is managing director of building company, Horizon Habitats, which recently won three prizes at the Master Builders Association NSW Excellence in Housing Awards.
Horizon was recognised as Master Builder of the Year, and received project awards for Manly II Residence and Watsons Bay Residence.
Watsons Bay Residence was designed by the renowned Bruce Stafford Architects, and won in the Contract Houses – $12 Million+ category. The beachfront home on Camp Cove features a series of transparent courtyards from the street entrance, that reveal views through to the harbour.
Manly II Residence was designed by PopovBass, and won in the Contract Houses – $4 million to $4.5 million category. The home’s curved, cantilevered, off-form concrete was extremely specialised and demanded the utmost accuracy on its first installation attempt.
Moses spoke to SCHWARTZWILLIAMS about the wins, and tells us what he loves about his job.
Horizon has recently won the coveted Master Builder of the Year award. What set Horizon apart from its competitors?
You’d have to ask the judges to be sure, but I think our two entries this year were exceptional projects – not just for the finished product, but also the journey to get them built. Both very difficult sites to build on, with very limited access, complicated structures (the Watsons Bay home’s basement is 1 metre under water!), lots of off-form concrete, and an uncompromising level of finishes.
Image: Watsons Bay residence.
Your work with top architects PopovBass and Bruce Stafford Architects was also recognised with Master Builders Association of NSW Excellence in Housing Awards. How important is it to work with good architects?
Anyone can build a box with a front door, some windows, a roof and a kitchen. We want to build special projects that not just anyone can deliver.
Great architects contribute not only to the design of space and finishes, but also help the builder with detailing the job along the way. A strong collaborative effort will get our mutual clients in to their home faster, to a high standard, and on budget. Most importantly, everyone will enjoy the process!
David, you’re the managing director of building company Horizon Habitats. Can you tell us about the career path that got you to this position?
I started as a labourer, mixing cement, shovelling and sweeping for Horizon whilst studying towards my degree in Construction Management. After graduating, and spending a few years overseas, I returned to Sydney and got my job back with Horizon – this time in the office.
We were a very small operation then, so I did just about everything – estimating, contract administration, and project management. After a few years, my boss offered me to buy in to the business, and the rest is history. We’ve had phenomenal growth over the past 14 years since then!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love being around people, in our office or on site – our staff, subcontractors, designers and clients. I enjoy learning from them all, and improving myself, as well as teaching others.
The most satisfying part of our job is when visiting homes we’ve built, and watching a family using it the way it was intended – kids doing their homework on the kitchen table, and a great meal cooking away in the kitchen.
What are some of the trends we are seeing in building at the moment?
Natural, earthy, raw finishes (low carb!), off form concrete, rammed earth, stone, timber
Where do you live now, and where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?
Currently in Rose Bay - close to family and work.
Sydney is pretty hard to beat, but a holiday house somewhere in the mountains would be pretty cool!
Read more about Horizon:
80s Bondi beach house becomes cool, contemporary home
Read other Get to Know profiles in The Real Estate Conversation:
Get to know architect Elizabeth Watson Brown, design director with Architectus