In Focus | Kim Larson of All Elements

Kim Larson has been fascinated with homes, design and real estate since she was a child. That interest in the buildings that shape our environment and how they represent us as individuals made it a natural fit for her career. All Elements Design.Manage.Build offers high quality in-house architectural design, construction and construction management services that improve client experience and turn homeowners’ dreams to their reality. They pride themselves on eliminating the difficulties associated with custom home design, ineffective communication between architects and construction companies as well as inefficient relationships inside the design, construction and client triangle. Kim hopes to build a truly memorable landmark building in Kelowna that would become known across Western Canada. Today Kim and All Elements are In Focus.

Stephen Ams and Kim Larson of All Elements

What do you always find yourself saying?
Be proactive not reactive

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Don Campbell, real estate investor. I find him a fascinating, quirky individual passionate about helping others achieve their goals.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
A Tommie award for excellence in building

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose?
Frank Lloyd Wright of course! What architect wouldn't, he was the forerunner of modern design and creator of details we still use to this day in the field.

Who inspires you?
People who work hard and never give up on their passion, being goal oriented and stopping at nothing to achieve them.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
Create an empire of construction, property management and real estate investment

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
Unnecessary

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
There are 2 days on life we cannot control, yesterday and tomorrow so I choose to live for today.

What are you passionate about?
Houses, I have been addicted to homes, design and real estate since I was a child. There is nothing more interesting to me than the buildings that shape our environment and how they are a representation of each of us as individuals.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
The day we became self employed. It's a true test of determination.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Building a home for a client who was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 months into construction of their dream home. We continued to build the house while she was in treatment, she was unable to decide on finishes and only visited the site once until the home was complete. She asked us to make decisions based on her style and run with it. The best moment was handing her the keys to her dream home, the smile on her face was priceless and a moment I'll never forget.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna?
The Eldorado lounge. The view of the boat launch with the mountains and vineyards of the Westside in the background remind me every time of how lucky we are to live here. Watching people launch their boats in our beautiful lake is entertaining as well :)

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna?
There are many Kelowna events that are fantastic but my favourite event in the Okanagan Valley is Ironman Triathlon in Penticton. I grew up watching this event since I was born, it is my favourite day of the year.

What is the name of your business/organization?
All Elements Design.Manage.Build

Where can people find you or your business online?
http://www.allelements.ca

How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
Kim Larson

What does your business/organization do?
We strive to offer high quality in-house architectural design, construction and construction management services that improve client experience and turn homeowners’ dreams to their reality.

What is your mission?
Eliminate the difficulties associated with custom home design, ineffective communication between architects and construction companies as well as inefficient relationships inside the design, construction and client triangle.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
Build a truly memorable landmark building in Kelowna that would be known across Western Canada as the sign of this region's fast developing 'Canada's Napa Valley' image.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in 5 years?
To be known as a trendsetter in architectural design, forerunner in construction quality and to have completed a few landmark projects in the Okanagan.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
I believe every association has their own individual strengths and way of doing business. We believe we are currently achieving what we set out to do that set us apart from the rest and strive to be focused on our mission and day to day tasks.

What 3 qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
Being 'hands on' - Many in this industry have a hands off approach, visiting their construction sites on a semi-weekly basis leaving work to be completed by sub-trades and suppliers. We believe by being 'hands on' and on site on every project that we are able to be proactive with solutions rather than being reactive to problems.

Leading by example - we truly believe the construction process is a collaborative experience and create a positive working environment as a way to motivate others.

Personal attention - communication is key. As owners of the company we believe miscommunication is brought upon by multiple levels of personnel. We created our business model to be able to provide one-on-one personal communication between All Elements and our clients to avoid information from falling between the cracks.

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
Thank you

How does your business/organization impact the community?
We build beautiful things, improving the landscape of Kelowna while stimulating the local economy.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
Real estate investors because I am personally interested in creating rental property units that are higher end. Everyone deserves to live in a beautiful environment. By creating nicer spaces, we attract better tenants, longer term tenants, bringing in higher rents, all which help with economy and property values.

If I could change 1 thing about Kelowna, it would be:
Cost of living vs. average income. Due to lower incomes in the Okanagan for the 'sunshine tax' the area has become unaffordable to the local population, making the luxury lifestyle only attainable by out of province investors.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The vibe of being a true destination location and an amazing place to call home.

My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Wall To Wall Kitchen & Bath

Some general comments I would like to share are:
Building a custom home does not have to be an intimidating experience. We at All Elements want to ensure the process of building your dream home is enjoyable. Our system allows you to be involved as much or as little as possible. We love what we do and we do it well.

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at WelcometoKelowna.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do. We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!