Bay Living is not your average property developer — and Te Atatu Peninsula’s ‘The Bays’ is certainly not your average townhouse development. Nestled at the tip of the peninsula with spectacular harbour views, this new enclave of 13 elegant townhouses emanates space, style, and luxury.

On a mission to “build differently,” The Bay Living team have prioritised performance and finish at every turn of the project — from the generous insulation that significantly exceeds building code requirements through to the permeable concrete paths, the high performing intertenancy walls, and the use of GIB Rondo metal ceiling battens to construct the perfect ceilings.

“The whole idea here is to create something special for customers, to build townhouses that are better quality and have better spaces than the majority of townhouses out there,” says Francis Hong, who as Director of Bay Living, also has high-end developments underway in Westgate (Bays Rise), Browns Bay (Bays Point) and Mairangi Bay (Bays Park).

The Bays in Te Atatu Peninsula is the first development off the rank. Just completed and now on the market, the two and three-bedroom homes are testament to Bay Living’s commitment to quality.

“When you walk into these homes you don’t feel like you’re in a townhouse. They’ve got big windows and high ceilings, and you feel like you’re in a standalone home.”

GIB Rondo has played a pivotal role in the project’s success, ensuring the spectacular 4.5 metre raked ceilings, different angles and square edges are perfect.

“We had used GIB Rondo a little bit on previous projects but this is the first time we’ve used it right throughout a development on a large scale, and now I wouldn’t use anything else. It gives a much better-quality finish, is very easy to install, and going forward requires less maintenance. Our goal at The Bays was to build a better product for our customers, and GIB Rondo has certainly helped us achieve that.”

The GIB Rondo metal batten system provides a stable substrate for plasterboard ceiling linings. It forms a flexible but rigid frame and, unlike timber, doesn’t move or warp with temperature and moisture changes.

“Timber can move, so you can end up with some cracking, which can lead to repairs, plastering and painting.”

Add to that the fact that there’s no peaking and popping of screws and the end result means fewer call backs.

“GIB Rondo is used extensively in the commercial building sector, however, often residential builders use timber because it’s what they know, but we have done a lot of research into how we can build better and there are so many good reasons to swap to GIB Rondo.”

As Francis explains, it makes sense for both the homeowners and the builders.

“The customer gets a better-quality finish and a perfectly flat ceiling and can square stop with confidence because the corner angles are so straight. You really can see and feel the difference. It’s also very easy to install — it’s very light so one person can install it, and it’s a bit like Lego, everything just fits together!”

Another big drawcard is that storage of metal battens onsite takes up a lot less room on site than the equivalent lineal meters of timber battens because Rondo stacks neatly together.

Thanks to the success of GIB Rondo at The Bays, Bay Living now plan to use the metal ceiling batten system in all his projects.

“GIB Rondo is user friendly, cost effective, requires less maintenance, and gives a high-end finish. It’s a good product that gets good results, and we will definitely continue to use it in our future Bay Living developments.”