The Foothills Builder Profile Series: Westmark Construction
In this series we are getting to know the custom home builders that create the beautiful homes at The Foothills. Today we are talking with Chris Lundy, President and Founder of Westmark Construction.
Q: You’ve been in the construction business for over 35 years – tell us how Westmark came to be?
Chris: I founded the company in 1988, but my influence on all things construction and home building started much earlier. My grandfather was a steel fabricator, and I had an uncle who was a trained journeyman cabinetmaker. I watched and learned from them starting at 8 years old, and eventually started working alongside them.
With growing years of building and construction experience under my belt, I went back to school and completed my business diploma from Langara College, that’s when I started Westmark and was able to combine both my technical and business educations. Westmark started in Vancouver. I moved to Nanaimo in 1993 to both work and start a family, and never looked back.
Today our projects can be found through the entire Central Island from Campbell River to Duncan.
Q: Commercial, multi-family, and custom homes, what projects does Westmark’s portfolio scope most include?
Chris: 75% work is commercial and multi family , 25% is custom housing .
In recent years, our growth has been more heavily weighted to multifamily which correlates with the growth and inventory need we are seeing as more and more people want to call Nanaimo home.
Q: As building costs and homes prices continue to rise how do you see that impacting things?
Chris: Cost of construction continues to escalate and at a rate we haven’t really seen before in these past pandemic years. I know that young families are finding it incredibly challenging and in many cases being outpriced.
We like to try and address that, and. I do see some trends to towards designing more efficient spaces. Trends to legal suits that help with inventory, trend to more townhome and duplex designs. Also, a movement to less volume and more thought-out efficiency, which, when we look at rising cost per square foot, will lead to a more affordable housing mix.
Q: What attracts you as a builder to The Foothills? And on the flip side, what challenges present building at The Foothills.
Chris: The Foothills a unique community because it is surrounded by vast amounts of park hard to find in other communities, and a great vision for a future commercial node. And stating the obvious, you are rewarded with some spectacular views.
The overall master plan has been well thought out. Allard is a great visionary and a very skilled person to move The Foothills project from conception to completion. Developments like these are a very, very, long process with many steps along the way. The Foothills success to date is a great example of his vision and a great sign of what the future looks like to live at the Foothills.
A great deal of The Foothills lies within sloped areas, and no one is more aware to this than the builders. Houses are a more challenging to design for the topography. However, the result will be spectacular design.
Q: What does the future hold for Westmark?
Chris: Our business continues to grow as the community continues to grow. We are very proud to be involved in a significant number of projects that will continue to shape Nanaimo’s changing and growing community. Our focus is to bring well planned commercial and residential projects into the community. Westmark will impact the future of Nanaimo, and we are excited to make Nanaimo a thoughtful and exceptional place to call home.
To learn more about the work Chris and his team do visit: https://westmarkconstruction.ca Facebook Instagram Houzz.
