Peak Retreat
ACanadian based architectural design and manufacturing firm, Discovery Dream Homes West is an innovative leader in log, timber frame, and Modern/Traditional solid wood construction.
“As we develop innovative solutions for complex challenges, we grow and learn as a team and strive to deliver excellence,” shares Danny Mauro of Discovery Dream Homes West, who was also once a client. Committed to bringing client’s dreamhome visions to life, their skilled designers develop projects tailor made to the unique needs, tastes, and budgets of each household.
Discovery Dream Homes West understands that miscommunication between architects, builders, and lumber suppliers can be expensive and put your project at risk. Their professional team of consultants, designers, engineers, and contractors work together on every project to ensure that your home is completed on time and on budget. With products sourced from sustainable forests in North America, they meet or exceed building codes as well as surpass energy requirements in Canada’s toughest climates.
The company is a leader in the log and timber frame home industry and offers an extensive variety of profiles and wood species. They naturally air-dry their timbers for a minimum of one year prior to cutting. Once climatized, logs and timbers are planed in their factory to customized profiles and sizes and are then processed on their automated CNC machines, ensuring each piece is cut and drilled with optimal precision.
“Our logs further maximize energy efficiency through our double tongue-and-groove profile and gasketing, allowing for a triple seal between each log course,” describes Mauro. “Our log homes maintain a higher thermal mass that holds heat longer, and our unique dovetail corner design is arguably the best in the business.”
Saving you thousands in on-site labour, DDH West routers all electrical boxes and light switches with wire chases pre-drilled. “Finally, once the logs are cut, we pre-assemble the home in our factory for quality assurance. We then disassemble and package everything for delivery to your site,” adds Mauro.
Milled in three profiles, square, “D” shape, and full round, their log homes consist of complete shell material packages, which clients can build themselves with the help of local contractors. “We supply the option to self build or a full turn key home— each customer is different and we offer everything in between,” asserts Mauro.
Designed for a family with two young boys, this custom home features two bedrooms on the main level with a loft hosting the master ensuite. After much discussion and partly because of its densely wooded location near Shawnigan Lake, BC, Danny Mauro suggested one of their most popular models to get them started. “This couple is my favourtie type of client, the ‘handson’ sort who wanted to build their own cabin. It actually tuned out far better than any of us imagined. They created a funky, modern log cabin within a classic chalet plan,” admits Mauro.
The cabin was intended to afford comfort in their remote area where heavy snow falls and plummeting temperatures couple with power outages in the winter. An efficient gem at only 900 square feet on the main level with a 500-square-foot loft, the home rests on a huge chunk of Vancouver Island rock. The customers raised the height of the crawl space to accommodate its naturally solid foundation.
Ultimately, they updated The Yukon’s existing stock design for more personalized function and flair. “We were intending to build a home with natural materials. It was meant to be simple, but our modern industrial aesthetic and attention to each detail did make it more complex,” they agree. “There is no wasted space in the home and it has an open, easy concept that centres around a bold and engaging concrete island,” they share.
Featuring a whitewash stained interior, a cast iron, wood-burning stove adds authentic appeal, rising to the tongue-and-groove pine ceiling with matching pillars. Douglas Fir accents complement pine logs and timbers with recycled and wall-anchored stair treads blending with 10-ml. glass and pine railings that add rustic character.
The main floor bathroom features slate flooring and a cast concrete sink amidst Douglas fir floating shelves, while the upstairs bath sustains the style with more unique finishes. The kitchen’s natural concrete island contrasts beautifully with black, flat panel cabinets that host touch latch control amidst ornate wall tile with cottage appeal. The exterior is finished with a product called ECO WOOD, a no stain treatment that offers a naturally weathered ‘west coast’ look beneath a practical metal roof.
“We were very lucky to have so many builders willing to check in and keep us going, including my friend Danny. The house turned out so much more beautiful than we had actually planned,” admit the couple. “We learned that we only enjoyed working when things were looking amazing—so we kept working towards amazing!”