DB Custom Homes
Expert execution of modern design
The sleekness of modern design is accomplished only through thoughtful and precise construction. Clean lines, unadorned interiors, and naturally-appointed homes require expert execution in construction to obtain a seamless finish that enhances the overall aesthetic. Where traditional custom homes are dressed up with ornate trim and finishes that can mask any imperfections, the simple finishes of modern homes have nothing to hide behind.
The challenges in construction provided by modern home designs have long been David Bernstein’s passion. Founder of DB Custom Homes, David has a long history in the building industry, having started by cleaning and sweeping job sites at fifteen years old. Later he learned from the best in custom home construction as a site supervisor. Then ten years ago he started his own company, doing smaller projects but at the same high quality of the custom homes he had been working on. From basement renovations, additions, and garages, David grew his business and from the beginning his strong interest in the modern design style blossomed.
David found himself attracted to modern design because of its futuristic appeal and something that was very different from the standard, typical custom home builder. His vision for his company was to set themselves apart in quality, accountability, and the type of design he focused on. He became selective in his projects, choosing them based on their design and staying within the modern home niche.
He never expected the modern style to become so popular and mainstream, always thinking that it would remain a fringe, niche market. But with its sudden popularity, DB Custom Homes has the edge over its competition. With their solid experience in the style, David and his team are well-versed in overcoming the design and construction challenges that the modern look holds. With the unique configurations in modern home construction, DB Custom Homes takes care to ensure the projects are completed with the highest attention to detail.
Their skilled craftsmanship has created quite the buzz around their recent notable project on Old Dundas Road. Poised over Ancaster Creek amid a curtain of lush greenery, the modern architectural masterpiece in both design and construction mingles with the natural surroundings while harmoniously incorporating sustainability, modern expression, exquisite detail, and multi- generational living.
A collaboration between architects Betsy and Shane Williamson of Williamson Williamson Inc. and luxury homebuilder, DB Custom Homes, the creekside home brilliantly mediates the challenges presented by building in a natural landscape, the complexities of designing for an multi-generational family, and the modern-day desire to live green and incorporate natural elements into the home.
For David and the DB Custom Homes team, the home was exciting because it was the most ambitious project they had completed up until that time. He was intent on making sure that the final results were perfect, despite the project’s many challenges. He attributes the final success to his company’s teamwork and his collaboration with the architect, Betsy Williamson.
Several modern design elements of the home pushed the creative envelope during construction. From the structural steel cantilevering that is similar to structural components of a shopping mall, to the ambitious window installation, to the absence of bulkheads, the DB Custom Homes team was encouraged to step up to the bar and deliver on higher than ever expectations. David says that because of the preplanning of the home, they were able to leave out anything that would impede the design element, avoiding any kind of post, build-out, or bulkhead. The result is so clean and undisrupted in design that it has a calming effect on the beholder.
The world-class design and construction on the Ancaster Creek home has been garnering the attention of the press and the accolades of the industry. Having won the Ontario Woodworks Award, they are also nominated by BILD for best custom home of 2017 and been featured in the Globe and Mail and Canadian Architect Magazine.
David and the team at DB Custom Homes take great pride in their work, ensuring that the client is overjoyed with both the process and the final results. Like this home, he wants all his projects to be in the same superior shape twenty years from now that they are they day they’re completed, without wearing or fading.
David attributes a large part of his company’s success to his lineup of young, enthusiastic tradespeople who are at the top of their game. His company’s strength is their ambition to set new standards in building the next generation of custom homes, and he regularly receives compliments from his clients on his team’s cooperation on projects. He is selective about the people that he surrounds himself with at work, choosing tradesmen who contribute to the close-knit, positive and respectful environment he has created on site.
As with the Ancaster Creek home, DB Custom Homes emphasizes the use of technology and green building standards. To keep the client in the loop, they utilize a cloud-based construction management software program which organizes everything from the budget, to the schedule, to any documents and selections needing to be made. This technology keeps the project super organized and transparent, allowing the architects, tradesmen and clients to stay in constant communication and be abreast of the latest developments. At any time of any day, the client can click onto the website and know where the project is, which gives them a feeling of comfort in the process.
He has a minimum standard of quality and will not use substandard trades or materials. There is a plethora of products that he uses that are above the standard practice in the industry including sound- proofing every wall and floor, instant hot water to every tap, and stronger floor structures to reduce vibration.
As with the Ancaster Creek home, green technology is becoming increasingly important in home building. To reduce the ecological footprint, energy consumption was decreased in the home through a solid building envelope comprising high-performance triple glazed windows, and a 37 module 9.8 kW Canadian made solar array installed across two of the flat roofs.
The demand for these types of home features are growing and the DB Custom Homes team is proud to be ahead of the curve in familiarizing themselves with these options. Often the result is that a client can move from a smaller custom home into one of the larger new green-built custom homes and find that they actually save on their monthly energy expenses.
All the complex elements that went into the beautiful design and construction of the Ancaster Creek home work so well together to leave the impression of simple and unencumbered modern architecture. Its execution so well done that for the viewer of the home there is nothing more to add to the design and nothing more to take away. Its simplicity and minimalism speaks for itself.
