The Construction Source

NOVEMBER 2020 According to Steve, those discerning clients, with their interesting projects, are first drawn to Uprise by the firm’s creativity: “Andthat creativity isshowcased in our results,” he says. “A lot of our clients choose us because they’ve seen our work. They’ve seen it in person, or they’ve looked at our website, and they love our final products.” Once clients engage with Uprise, they also fall in love with their process, Steve adds. He says that process “starts with a lot of information gathering” – in particular, information about the site. “The site is so integral to the design,” he says. “Each house should be designed to the natural advantages of the site. It should respond to the pattern of the sun, wind direction, and views. We live by the light and the shadows of the changing day. No professional should ever agree to designing a custom home without standing on the lot.” “So we go to the site, we fall in love with it the same way our clients do,” he continues. “From there, we start to identify the opportunities and the possible challenges. The Okanagan is rarely flat, so a topographic survey modelled into our software is one of our starting points.” “That begins to light the path,” he says. “There can be a lot of fog in the home design process – especially for clients who are doing it for the first time, or who are coming from out of town and not used to our unique building conditions. We try to clear that fog with good information and illuminate the path forward.” Steveand Jennaalso try tospend a lot of time with the client, so that their finished design best accommodate their priorities, wishes, and personality. To that end, they conduct detailed interviews, and they encourage the client to contribute their own thoughts, dreams, and visions. Even when clients give them carte blanche – and a lot