Dragland Design Build

Michael is currently renovating a small (750 sq.ft.) building that was a leaky un-insulated garage/workshop into a finished studio with plumbing. Michael took my thoughts about design, added his and quickly produced clear preliminary drawings that passed through the building inspection department. He recommended we include plans by a professional building engineer, as there was a crack in the existing foundation and bearing load/earthquake improvements needed. This past winter, Michael has repaired the foundation, oversaw the plumbing, installed a new beam and a dormer, framed in windows and is beginning the shingle siding. The interior is clean and readied for wiring and finishing. I enjoy renovating as opposed to building new and Michael is really good at this - creative, flexible and always ready for challenges as they arise. He is very patient and great to brainstorm with – for example: drafting the window/door order including two unique round portals, ways to fit the attic ladder around a piano, relocating a door. His goal is to have the best end result regardless of where ideas come from. Before we began the building phase, I signed a contract including a retainer fee and we discussed my role as owner/builder. I appreciate how well we work together on hiring subcontractors, I pitch in when I can, and we make decisions together very well. Great communicator – both verbally and with prompt emails and responses to questions. I cover all bills directly, and work with Michael to track the invoices for materials and he has luckily caught a few errors. To date we are on track with original estimates. Michael also sent with the contract a set of guiding principles which I am confident have been adhered to completely. These include: pride in craftsmanship, economy of motion, respect for the land, efficient use of materials, minimizing waste, avoiding toxic substances, locally sourcing materials and manpower, and above all, being mindful of our privilege and honour to be here. His company and all workers follow practices which include: Bring in/ bring out/ leave no trace policy, recycle waste materials, no smoking on site, clean as you go. I have been involved in renovation projects for 4 decades and can honestly say this studio building site is the best organized, very safe and most ‘green’ of any project I have seen.

I have known Michael for about 8 years. I knew him first as a builder of my sister-law’s house, which he did such an incredible job on that we asked him to design and build a cottage for my wife and myself. I always found Michael to be a pleasure to work with. He is absolutely honest and conscientious; we never have to worry about the quality of his work, because his work was always of the very highest standards and he has excellent taste. Because of my experience as a carpenter I know what is involved in what he does. It was a pleasure to make design decisions with Michael because he had always thoroughly researched the options and thought carefully about the many implications of each decision. Design decisions involve multiple factors, and it was enjoyable to talk through the possibilities with Michael and reach a decision we were all happy with. Michael is always calm and thoughtful in this process, which shows Michael’s outstanding social and communicative skills at working with people. Building beautiful, well-designed, environmentally sensitive houses is not just a job for Michael, it something he loves to do. Designing and building a house is a complex task that requires anticipating the timing for the various trades and their needs and coordinating them, as well as anticipating and resolving upcoming decisions and having appropriate materials available at the right time in order to avoid delays. Michael’s intelligence was clearly evident in the skilled way in which he accomplishes this task. Beyond these factors, when environmental design is of concern there are additional factors to consider in any decision such as the environmental effects of the various materials and procedures that could be used. Michael is interested in building in a sustainable manner and using local materials when possible. For example, the beautiful beams and framing material in our cottage were milled locally from Douglas fir cut when a neighbour cleared a house site. Eco-concrete was used, some of the posts were salvaged yellow cedar driftwood, and the ceiling was locally cut and milled alder. Michael also runs his building site in a sustainable manner, from the materials he selects, to his care regarding waste and clean up. Michael’s approach to sustainability extends to the social level and to the way he treats his co-workers with respect. From talking to the local people Michael works with I get a view of him from their perspective. They like working with Michael because of his infectious enthusiasm for working with local and high quality materials. Michael is creative, intelligent, and responsible. He is completely honest, sincere, and conscientious, and he is committed to working to very high standards with quality materials in a sustainable manner. In addition, Michael has excellent taste! I give my strongest recommendations.

We hired Michael to renovate a variety of aspects around our 1972 Geodesic Dome. An unique building with other pre-existing structures, Michael brought insight, talent, creativity & good humour to the job site every day. We would not hesitate to refer him to others looking for a punctual, draughting savvy, budget minded contractor, & have just brought him back to the house to build a custom staircase to the loft office space above the kitchen in the main Dome.

Michael and his crew did a major renovation project for me. It included foundation work, building an addition with an office and an en suite bathroom, and completely gutting and replacing the kitchen. One of the main challenges was building to complement an already existing home with a very distinct personality. He did an amazing job. From the foundation to the finishing touches, everything turned out beautifully. I can honestly say that I feel as though I am living in a work of art. I couldn't be happier with the results. Working with Michael was a pleasure. He is respectful, communicative and hard-working. He's also a creative thinker and an impressive problem solver. I would hire him again in a heartbeat.

A friend whose home I really like (design, feeling of solidity and comfort, use of natural and/or recycled building materials) strongly recommended her builder to me, Michael Dragland, so I contacted him. I had asked my friend "what about the problems building contractors are legendary for, such as not keeping appointments, being flaky, not communicating well, and so on" and she said the communications with Michael were one of his strong points, one of the things she had been the most happy with. Michael prepared some sketches based on the ideas I gave him (I had a certain floorplan in mind inspired by a house I had owned previously), we chose a "look and feel" that we wanted to be unpretentious, understated, elegantly simple. Now, everyone who comes over says the LOVE our house, how it looks and feels. Our house feels as solid as a rock, like it will last forever. From a fir tree that had to come down for the site, the many and beautifully-visible posts and beams (exterior and interior) were cut from that tree, along with I would say 2/3 of our interior framing lumber (which Michael chose to make thicker and wider than convention, for that more solid long-lasting feel). The other specialists (besides the saw-miller) who Michael chose were the best .. he knows the right people to ask .. the grading contractor, the tree experts (we had some limbing done), the interior painters, the custom window maker, the buy who tiled our bathroom, etc ... Michael has got a team of amazing collaborators he was worked with, ad labourers that he has worked with whom I trusted, were polite and professional, showed up when promised, cleaned up when finished, did not overcharge us, earned my trust and future recommendations. Each Friday Michael and crew cleaned up, swept the house floors, tidied up the site. He efficiently brought in a construction tent (or two) where everything was neatly placed or stacked. His crews did not toss litter everywhere like I've seen on many sites. As much as possible all "used" wood was recycled ... instead of the usual on-site dumpster that gets full and trucked off to the landfill with used and discarded bits of framing wood, trash/garbage was kept to a minimum and Michael made sure to re-use as much as possible. For example, the plywood sheets used to "form" the concreted basement walls got re-used as sub-floor materials for the main floor, most of the 2x4s were similarly re-used, and Michael re-purposed the scaffolding planks (used to install upper windows and siding, etc.) for a large interior built-in desk-top and a couple of built-in wall-benches ... as much as possible, stuff was re-used instead of sent to the dump. We love our home. It is peaceful, solid, and zen-like. It was a pleasure working with Michael and with every one of his team-members that were brought in to help. I referred a friend, she engaged Michael for a major renovation/room-addition, and have recommended him to many others without hesitation -- Michael Dragland is a great choice for home-builders who don't want to generate excessive waste and who believe in recycling and reusing materials when possible to reduce environmental impact.