About Us

9 House Construction

You may be wondering what our name stands for?

9 House is the pronunciation of ‘Nijenhuis’, the Dutch last name of our founders, husband and wife duo Ruben and Karla. Fittingly, it also translates to ‘new house’.

We founded 9 House as a boutique building company with a singular focus: exceptional quality. Driven by a passion for timeless design and meticulous craftsmanship, we bring a refined, high-end touch to every project we undertake.

From the integrity of the structure to the flawless workmanship in a custom staircase, every detail is treated with the same level of care, intention, and expertise.

Bringing a home to life is a collaborative journey, and the connections we form throughout it are just as meaningful as the final result.

Our Founders

Ruben Nijenhuis | Owner/Project Manager

Ruben leads every project we take on. Born in Canada, he made Aotearoa home in 2012 and now lives in Wainui with Karla and their two children on a five-acre lifestyle block. A self-proclaimed perfectionist—both in his work and when cooking brisket on his charcoal barbecue—Ruben stays closely involved with his building team to ensure every stage is completed to the highest standard and that your experience is smooth and stress-free. His calm resolve and positive nature are often credited with making the building process an enjoyable one. And while he takes project management seriously, he’ll be the first to admit you’ll never fully get him off the tools!

Karla Nijenhuis | Owner/Office Manager

Karla plays a key role in working alongside Ruben to manage client projects seamlessly. With a background in Business Management, she oversees daily operations, coordinating with clients and subcontractors to keep everything running smoothly. Her organisational skills, creative eye, and attention to detail help bring each vision to life with efficiency and care.

Outside of work, Karla enjoys gardening, outdoor adventures with her family—whether biking, boating, or skiing—and, of course, dreaming up new home renovation ideas (for Ruben!).

Our Team

Our team is with us because they believe in our vision to elevate builder craftsmanship. The projects we take on demand that they show up with vigor and bring their best. They are highly skilled and deeply passionate.

Our Projects

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Client Review

"We cannot talk highly enough about Ruben and his Team at 9 House Construction. For the last four years Ruben, Jordan, Jackson and Logan have been involved with two major projects of ours including our family home which we lived in during major renovations throughout the course of a year. The 9 House Team made this possible by taking responsibility for managing the site and minimising the impact on our busy family. They are a completely reliable, tidy, extremely thoughtful, courteous and very entertaining team for whom nothing ever seemed too much trouble.

Complete craftsmen with impeccable work, proactive in their care for our 100 year old villa, the 9 House Team were hands down our favourite tradespeople to have on site and in fact we have missed them now the work has been done. We unreservedly recommend Ruben and Team for any building project and would be happy to be contacted via Ruben for further verbal feedback".

Johanna and Kevin