PAGE OCR B6 – July 2009 – The Ontario Construction Report
Altius Architecture, Inc.
labour or services where required.
“Through efficiency in the process we can
Continued from page OCR B5
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build custom cottages more competitively
than half of the builders (in the north), wher-
competitive in price with kit and pre-built ever they are getting their designs from.”
homes. They are designed to the actual site Smith says Altius has learned to under-
conditions and the owners’ real needs, not a stand the quirks and demands of residential
fixed set of plans. clients; some need hand-holding, others de-
For cottages, Altius provides a complete mand much time and attention. Since few
contracting service. Altius hires local crews. architects focus on residential clients, and
“(Northern contractors) know how to build, even fewer devote specialized attention to
and build very well,” he said. “They are cottage building, this gives Altius a solid
jacks of all trades.” Smith says Altius market niche and competitive advantage.
arranges to ship everything that is needed to “I think particularly that general con-
the job sites, subcontracting for specialized tractors working in the residential industry
loathe architects,” says Smith. “The per-
ception is that the architects live in the ivory
tower and are too detached from the build-
ing site.”
tional) North American detached suburban “Architects in traditional practice rein-
He says Altius’ experience shows that
tract home as much as a dinosaur as is the force that (attitude); they only show up for a
residential consumers, given the choice,
Hummer.” few meetings and site inspections – on most
want something much different than is being
But clients, contractors and developers construction sites architects are (regarded)
sold to them by the majority of tract
working with Altius will find a refreshing much like building inspectors, and not much
builders. “The suburban tract home is in the
change: Modern design is combined with liked, either. “When we work on projects,
same level that the American car industry
traditional values and respect for the trades over the course of a year and a half, we’ll be
was in the 1970s,” he said. “There was no
and the consumers. on the site at least once a week, if not every
competition. All it took was a little compe-
“(Clients) want something that is reflec- other week.”
tition from a company named Honda, with
tive of the here and now, that reflects their Smith says developers should be aware
better design and better quality. Twenty
lifestyles, their needs, their budgets, their that a seismic shift is taking place in the
years later, look where we are.”
desires for energy conservation, and com- marketplace. Builders who wish to do
“Maybe we need to look at the (conven-
fort, and all the rest.” things the “old way” may be able to con-
For general contractors and sub trades, tinue for a while, but eventually the market
Congratulations to
“we recognize there is not a hierarchy with – reflected by the attitudes of Altius’s clients
architects at the top of the food chain, then – will emerge for environmentally appeal-
Altius Architecture Inc.
general contractors down their and labourers ing, but truly modern homes.
at the bottom,” Smith said. For more information, visit
We are proud to be part of
“There should be more of a symbiotic rela- http://www.altius.net or phone 416-516-
tionship between architects and contractors. 7772.
your ongoing success.
Proud to be a part
DYER CONTRACTING
of the Altius team
1597 Foreman Road, Port Carling, ON P0B 1J0
Tel: (705) 765-1076 Fax: (705) 765-1066
E-mail: davedyer@muskoka.com
624 King Street West
one block east of Bathurst, on the north side
416-364-9099 kingstreet@livinglighting.com
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