The Foothills Builder Series: Carmanah Projects
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 Steven Chan, Owner and Principal of Carmanah Projects.
The Foothills: You have quickly made a very reputable name as one of the most sought-after builders on Vancouver Island. Take us back to the beginning of how Carmanah Projects came to be?
Steven: I've been immersed in design and construction my entire life. I essentially grew up inside my dad's cabinet shop and kept with that into my 20's learning the finer details in residential millwork. From there, and under my dad's company, we started doing full home renovations. During this time, I had bought my first home, and fully renovated it over the span of a few years. When I was able to sell that home, I used the profits to buy an empty lot. This move forced me to start Carmanah Projects and obtain my residential builders licence in 2015. With the help of my family we designed our first 'spec' home. Clearly, I wasn’t overly skilled in the world of 'spec' and the house ended up heavily designed with custom details throughout and ended up winning the CHBA Vancouver Island Building Excellence (VIBE) Award for best single family home under 3000 sq.ft. More importantly however, it gave Carmanah Projects a benchmark for what we were capable of producing for future clients.
The Foothills: If your dad still in the industry or working in any capacity with Carmanah Projects?
Steven: For the most part, he is retired now, however he can't seem to sit still and loves working in the shop so whenever he is bored, we always have a project for him. He also likes to do unannounced quality control site visits to keep the crew on their toes.
The Foothills: Was Carmanah or is it currently a family business?
Steven: Although on paper Carmanah Projects is not technically a family business, it would not be where it is today without the help of my family.
The Foothills: how do you staff your team?
Steven: We are a tight knit team of 8 like-minded individuals and perform as much carpentry related tasks as we can on our projects. We have found that the best way to execute a lot of these technical architectural details is through self-performing the work. A lot of these details require very minor adjustments during all stages of construction for the final details to be completed successfully. Subbing out these stages make it very easy for these details to be missed so we don’t risk that.
The Foothills: Can you give us a quick overview on your schooling and education?
Steven: I completed a Business Administration diploma program in Victoria after highschool, and then completed my Red Seal carpentry certification here in Nanaimo. After high school I always knew I wanted to work in the trades and eventually have my own company, so I decided to take the Business Administration program before my trade schooling. I chose this route knowing that if I had done my trade schooling first, I would have never gone back to do the business schooling.
The Foothills: do you solely do custom homes or do you also take other commercial projects?
Steven: At the moment soley single family residential homes, but we are slated to start our first commercial project later this year.
The Foothills: Is there a certain style of build or philosophy that is unique to you/Carmanah in the world of custom homes?
Steven: We are definitely more of a 'boutique' style builder keeping volume low and level of detail high with a passion in modern design and energy efficiencies. My goal is to create homes that I can come back to and show my grandkids, and then they can come back and show their grandkids. I believe when good design is paired with highly efficient detailing we are creating something that will stand the test of time, both in the health and safety of the building, but also architecturally long lasting.
The Foothills: Turning to The Foothills how many homes is Carmanah Projects currently working on?
Steven: We have started our third home in The Foothills, with one more slated for spring 2024.
The Foothills: What are the challenges building in such a unique landscape such as The Foothills? On the other side of the coin - the benefits?
Steven: The Foothills has the obvious difficulties of building on the side of a rocky mountain. Some areas the rock is soft, and some areas the rock is hard. With proper design the homes can be built around the topography of each site to minimize the amount of site prep and blend the structure into the natural environment. The benefit of this is that each building is entirely unique in design and positioning on the lot. Of course, the views are nothing to complain about!
The Foothills: What does life look like for Steven when you aren’t working….if there is a time you aren’t working?
Steven: My wife and I had a baby girl 8 months ago so life is definitely busy. When time allows skiing, biking, and surfing are the activities of choice and the reason why Vancouver Island always has been and always will be home for me.
To learn more about Carmanah Projects visit their website, Instagram or contact Steven Chan.
