Owned by Steven and Barb Craig, the company has flair for the unusual, the dramatically elegant. I toured my first Busselton Construction house over two years ago, yet in my mind’s eye I can still see the rhythmic angularity, the massive use of glass walls and natural stone, even the visual interconnectivity as kitchen flows through dining room, private art gallery, and effortlessly morphs into a spectacular outdoor sitting room/deck that spans the entire length of the house.

Rising to the Challenge

There's no question Steven, Barb, and Rob Pelland, their long-time construction supervisor, share a common passion for projects that challenge the imagination — and the limits. “We love working on projects requiring a little bit extra so we have to look for new solutions,” Steven says. And their track record leaves no doubt this team is successful in finding them.

Currently nearing completion is an ambitious renovation at a West Vancouver home that clings tenaciously to the side of a steep rock face. "The client wanted to join two wings of the existing house together and add a studio," Rob explains. “But the new and old spaces had to flow together within the context of the West Coast Contemporary architecture."

With no direct access to the driveway 50 feet below the new addition, Rob created a "tramway" to ferry equipment to and fro. Changing the vision into reality required some members of the crew to don mountain climbing equipment as they set pitons directly into the rock face. "It looked like something you'd see in the movies," Rob admits. "And we still had to hand-carry 70 cubic yards of granite away from the house."

Last year, in a grueling race against time, the company converted a 60-year-old heritage building into a 6,000-square-foot gallery/retail space with brand new HVAC system, plumbing, and electrical. They changed the façades and added a demonstration kitchen, new bathrooms, office space, plus extensive custom millwork throughout. And they did it all in just 60 days. Barb simply shakes her head. "We had people working seven days a week around the clock, but on the day of the grand opening, it was ready."

New Opportunities

Last fall saw Busselton take another innovative step with the opening of their custom millwork division. “Our projects typically involve extensive use of intricate woodwork," Barb explains. "Now we have the ability to handle every aspect — design, manufacture, and installation — right from our own shop, it makes quality control that much easier especially when a client makes changes in the middle of their project."

Looking Ahead

For now, Steven says Busselton will focus on seeking out new projects with "a little bit of extra challenge — a chance to be creative and innovative."

But the three are unanimous that keeping the quality a hands-on, personal approach will always remain their number one priority. "You become like part of the client's family over the course of a renovation," Steven says. "Yes, renovating is stressful, so you need to keep your sense of humour because more often than not the vision changes as a project continues. Our goal is to make the process easy." He smiles. "The greatest compliment we ever had was from a client who told us: when we look back, my wife and I enjoyed every moment of our renovation journey — we wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again."