Brookfield embraces prototyping
Prototyping helps Brookfield enhance designs and get things right
A staggering number of decisions factor into each new home construction project, ranging from large-scale blueprint layouts to the finest design details. Some might think of kitchen cabinet fixtures or bathroom countertops as minutia, but for homebuilders each decision, large or small, impacts the finished product and customer experience.
Real LaFrance, general manager, single family at Brookfield Residential, recently conducted a walkthrough of two ‘move-up’ homes in the Lake Summerside community in southeast Edmonton, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the decision-making process.
“Our three keys are functionality, affordability, and making sure that the home is family-friendly,” said LaFrance.
“When we approach a new home the entire focus is affordability by design. Our goal is to make great homes with excellent value per square foot, so people can be confident that they’re getting exactly what they want while staying within their budget.”
Prototyping is one of the ways Brookfield improves its design process and works to ensure customer satisfaction. Prototyping involves building the home, then conducting walk-throughs of the nearly finished product and making changes based on recommendations from in-house designers, clients, and anyone else who enters the home.
“We put a huge amount of effort into prototyping because we want to be able to experience each part of the room, seeing how it feels to walk through and making any necessary changes,” said LaFrance. “As a production builder, it’s important that we get things right the first time and make the home as move-in ready as possible.”
When we approach a new home the entire focus is affordability by design. Our goal is to make great homes with excellent value per square foot.
Brookfield Residential developed the Lake Summerside neighbourhood to appeal to younger families, offering move-up homes that offer additional features and options than your standard starter home. Brookfield’s move-up homes are named after mountain peaks in the Canadian Rockies, and LaFrance’s walk-through began with the Elias.
A two-storey home with a frontattached garage, the Elias measures approximately 1,800 square feet. Features include a walk-in coat closet/mud room directly off the main entrance, nine-foot ceilings on the main floor, and an open-concept kitchen, dining and living area that features plenty of natural light.
The Elias offers a second-storey laundry area and two solar tubes in the upstairs ceiling, offering additional light above a multi-level staircase, with the option of a chandelier. A front-facing master bedroom includes a walk-in closet and dual-sink master ensuite, and two additional upstairs bedrooms are generously sized.
The Elias presents a model of comfort and convenience, without any wasted space or awkward layout elements, but the finished product is the result of a massive effort in the planning and development stage.
“We went through 14 different versions of the plans before any of the framing began,” said LaFrance, who noted that Brookfield customers are also brought through the home to provide their opinions. “Our customers are one of our biggest assets in this process. They have the experience of living in the home, so they know what works and what doesn’t, and they provide some really constructive feedback.”
Prototype homes are a constant work in progress, and alterations extend to the little things that can be overlooked while drafting up the home. Walking through the Elias, LaFrance noted where walls had been pulled back to increase hallway accessibility, and pointed out where alterations were needed to provide additional lighting or enhance esthetics.
“We have to look at each room in the house and do our best to determine how it will be used and what would be most convenient for the homeowner once they move in. Do we have enough electrical outlets? Is the placement correct so that they’re easy to use? These things matter to people who are living in the home, so we have to try and identify and correct any issues they might have.”
Next door to the Elias, the Robson sits at just over 2,000 square feet and offers some enhanced features, including a three-car garage and elegant curved staircase that stands as the focal point in the home’s open-concept layout. A wide fireplace complements the staircase, producing a welcoming environment in the living room and kitchen.
The Robson’s three secondfloor bedrooms each have walk-in closets, and a full upstairs laundry room adds to the convenience. A vaulted ceiling in the master bedroom opens up the space, and the master ensuite includes a tiled-in standalone shower.
“Our goal is to create functional spaces that make sense,” said LaFrance. “We don’t want a television room that people have to walk through to access other areas of the house, so we design areas with functionality in mind, allowing people to utilize the space in a way that makes sense.”
Once all the tweaks have been made, the Elias and Robson will open to the public and proceed to market in an award-winning neighbourhood. Lake Summerside recently won the Best Community award at the 2017 Canadian Home Builders’ Association — Edmonton Region Awards of Excellence in Housing. The Elias will be priced around $400,000, while the Robson will be available for under $500,000.
“The new mortgage rules have made things tougher for people, so we’ve kept that in mind with our pricing and option packages,” said LaFrance. “We want to offer enough options that people can have what they want at an affordable price. Everything we’re doing here is focused on affordability.”