When Sandra McMillan, a Latvian married to Canadian-rooted New Zealander Wade McMillan, purchased land in a mountainous town on New Zealand’s South Island, they began searching for a home that truly felt right for the place and for their way of living.
Rather than following conventional building approaches, they were drawn to the idea of a house that offered natural warmth, durability, and a closer relationship with its surroundings. This search gradually led them beyond local solutions and toward a home that aligned more deeply with their values.
Their search for a home naturally led them back to Latvia - to a place, material, and way of building that felt familiar and meaningful. What they found in Dores Wooden Homes was a solid timber house with a clear, well-resolved building system.
Ease of assembly was an essential part of the decision.
As an experienced mechanical engineer, Wade wanted to build his first home with his own hands, and the precision of the prefabricated elements allowed the structure to come together clearly and efficiently. This hands-on process became an integral part of the home’s story.
Sandra and Wade chose a Dores log home knowing that bringing a house from Latvia to New Zealand would require careful planning and close attention to local requirements. New Zealand’s biosecurity standards for imported timber are among the strictest in the world, shaping every step of the process. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, the family believed there was a thoughtful and responsible way forward - one that respected both the natural material and the regulatory framework. Navigating this requirement became a year-long process led by Sandra herself.
Working closely with local authorities and certification bodies, and in cooperation with Dores' technical team, they helped establish a clear regulatory pathway for importing timber structures from Latvia into New Zealand. Building their own home gave the family a deep, practical understanding of solid timber construction. When New Zealand media outlets covered their story, it sparked interest within the local market.
Today, Wade's engineering background and Sandra's project-management expertise come together through Catalyst Design, where they take a personal, thoughtful approach to each glulam log house project. Bringing a home from Latvia to New Zealand might seem like an unusual choice. But for the McMillans, it made perfect sense and it's opened doors for others seeking something similar.
