Creative construction

Neil McBriar of Habitat Custom Construction keeps busy building beautifully unique designs in the West Kootenay

1 of 2The Ryon Residence has been one interesting project for Habitat Custom Construction designed by David Dobie. — Photo courtesy Neil McBriar

2 of 2Another view of the Ryon Residence shows interesting design elements. — Photo courtesy Neil McBriar

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An education in the arts isn’t exactly a prerequisite for a construction career. Nonetheless, Neil McBriar has found that the two fields go well together. With a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a decade in the construction industry, he now owns Habitat Custom Construction in the Nelson-Slocan area. The company has worked on unique projects that have been designed by architects, independent designers, or together with the clients themselves.

“Sometimes we call it an organic process of design,” said McBriar. “That’s not always the case because certainly a well-planned, well-designed project from the get-go is the most efficient, but I will say that I allow for an organic process where we’re not necessarily locked into the design. It’s common for people to have an idea or a vision—or see somebody else’s drawings and not quite understand them—so I enjoy the process of designing on the fly.”

A healthy balancing act

Habitat Custom Construction also strives to find a balance between cost, esthetics and efficiency with minimal impact. The Kootenay area is a great place for sourcing local wood and the company works with a number of smaller sawmills. Eco-efficient design is more of a concern for some clients, and McBriar believes that it’s a worthwhile consideration.

“Cost is at the top of almost everybody’s list, so it’s about striking a balance between the ideal and reality,” he said. “Construction is ever evolving, like most industries, and there’s a lot of new materials and new ideas that come out all the time. I’m a believer in the tried, tested and true things that have proven themselves over time. I do think that buildings should be kept simple and uncomplicated. Efficiencies in mechanical systems are important—in-floor heating, super-efficient boilers, water-heating systems and windows are places that people really should focus on.”

Running a construction company

Habitat Custom Construction is involved in its projects from design through to the finishing. The company does all the carpentry work and McBriar commented on the talent of the subcontractors he uses.The most challenging part of operating a small construction company, he said, is staying on top of every aspect of the business. With three to seven full-time employees, McBriar works on site but also deals with everything from estimates to billing—a challenge, he believes, for any small building company. Still, McBriar looks forward to continuing to create quality buildings.

“(I most enjoy) working with people and the hands-on creative aspect,” he said. “I think to continue to be able to build interesting, well-designed custom homes is really our biggest goal—through slow times and busy times, to keep it interesting and try not to sway from that.”