Building dreams

Quiniscoe Homes in Panorama, B.C., builds vacation properties for multi-generational use

Villa Gran Sasso, a luxury home built by Quiniscoe Homes, showcases the intricate work the company is capable of. — Photo courtesy Quiniscoe Homes

The Columbia Valley is a hot spot for vacationers, and during the summer months the population of the valley triples. In 1999, Dave and Doris Penner, the owners of Quiniscoe Homes, moved from Maple Ridge, B.C., in search of a more laid-back lifestyle and found a niche market in building exquisite luxury properties in Panorama, Invermere and Windermere.

But let’s back up a little. Dave and Doris got married in 1981 and moved to the Yukon Territory from the Fraser Valley. Dave was a carpenter by trade and Doris was an aircraft mechanic. Work was limited at the time and the Penners decided to do odd siding and roofing jobs. Ultimately, the Penners ended up building their own house, and when they sold it years later, their home went for $90,000, which was the highest priced home in the Yukon to that date.

In 1995, when the Penners moved to Maple Ridge, they quickly realized that the city life was not for them. Doris said that they had been vacationing in Panorama since 1986 and one day their nine-year-old daughter suggested a change of scenery.

“She said to Dave, ‘Daddy, why don’t we move to Panorama? You are always happy there,’ " said Doris. “So that day we decided to move.”

A move to the right market

The Penners brought their business with them, and Quiniscoe Homes has since constructed more than 60 residences around the Columbia Valley. The first house the Penners completed was built for Wilf and Marg Gobert, and it won a national award from the Canadian Home Builders' Association for the best single-family home over 2,000 square feet. Since then, Quiniscoe Homes has garnered numerous homebuilder awards; in fact, just this spring, the company won a Georgie Award, an award given out by the Canadian Home Builders' Association of B.C., for custom homebuilder of the year. In addition, Quiniscoe Homes’ two latest projects, Stealth and Villa Gran Sasso, were nominated for and won several other Georgie Awards.

Quiniscoe’s main market is people looking to purchase vacation home property; these homes are typically designed for multi-generational family use with retirement options. In order to create beautiful spaces that are sustainable and will not require a lot of maintenance, the Penners place a lot of emphasis on locally sourced materials.

“We try to source our materials from as close to the area as possible—like timber and rock,” said Doris. “For exterior materials, we try to use things that are sustainable—things that won’t have a lot of maintenance but will look beautiful for years to come. And as far as interiors and installations go, we try to use materials that will not off-gas.”

Dave added that all of their homes incorporate energy efficiency.

“We pay attention to the building envelope being comfortable,” said Dave. “We install heat-recovery ventilation in every home that we build—that is not optional."

Investment in their team

The Penners are the first to say that their success is based upon the specialty tradesmen that they outsource work to and the close team environment that they have established.

“We are continually sending our team to training for builder science and builder technology,” said Dave. “We are very keen on making sure that what we build for our customers is long lasting, durable, healthy and comfortable—all of the things that we put in the home is something the homeowner will enjoy for many years.”