I have been shaped by this company, as a professional, as a business owner myself, and as a person.

My name is Kevin Wilson and currently I am just the social media guy for Integral Design. Since 2008 I have been either an employee, a sub contractor, or a promoter of this company (whether under their employ or not). The wealth of knowledge and experience acquired during my time in the field and discussing the ins and out of home building with it’s leaders has been invaluable, but it also has given me a window into something that is impossible to replicate inorganically: a company culture that is fertile ground for growing true professionals.

“At Integral Design, every team member takes immense pride in their work. We foster a highly professional work environment while still having fun in the process. Built on a foundation of accuracy and efficiency, these core values drive our success and create a workplace that team members, clients, and sub-trades all love being a part of. ” Jevan Madill- Red Seal Carpenter and Project Leader.

Culture Isn’t Created in a Mission Statement. It is the Unspoken Shared Values of the Team Permeating Through. 

Exceptional projects aren’t the product of a single talented carpenter, designer, or project manager. They’re built by teams that trust each other, challenge each other, and share a commitment to excellence.

At Integral Design + Build, that culture wasn’t manufactured as i’ve seen other businesses try to achieve. It evolved naturally through years of working alongside people who care deeply about their craft and the quality of the work they leave behind, led by a core group of 6 employees that have over ten years with the company. 

Led by Craftspeople

I’ve seen something special occur too many times to count in the small interactions between the crew: the free sharing of hard earned experience. Every project is led by seasoned red seal builders who have spent years refining their skills and solving real-world construction challenges, but expertise alone isn’t enough. I’ve found that the best leaders never stop learning, and they never stop teaching. On Integral sites, knowledge is shared freely and questions are welcomed. A mindset of continual learning makes every project stronger and every team member better, faster. 

Trust Is Built Daily

Great projects are built on trust. In my experience trust comes from honesty, accountability, and doing what you say you’re going to do. When leadership models direct communication, taking ownership, and addressing challenges head-on, it sets the standard for employees and all of the trades on site. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s the strongest way to build. When i’ve worked side by side with this crew, I have seen that trust begin from the inside, where everyone is ready to step in, help each other, and focus on finding the best way forward. That trust begins from inside of the team, extending outwards to our clients and into every project Integral Design + Build touches. 

The Difference Behind the Work

It’s amazing to see a finished home and landscape, and to know all of the hard work that went into it. In writing this, I really wanted to capture the intangible and hard to describe culture behind it: the collaboration, the mentorship, the problem-solving, and the pride that goes into every decision along the way. That’s the real foundation of building an exceptional team.

I’ve been lucky to have seen this company grow, and have even tried to model some of the magic in my own business. There’s something special going on here, and it’s been quietly building for a long time. 

No egos.

No shortcuts.

Just great building.

“Our team’s ability to communicate, be accountable and honest with each other while on a continuous pursuit of excellence, with a superb attention to detail” are the core ideas set by Integral’s Principal, Chad Plater.

Few things last longer than stone.

Hand picked stones from a local quarry are chosen for flat faces, colour and size. Brought close to their final destination, to be chosen again for a new home. A stonemason is a steward of stone. They have a keen sense of shape recognition from working through countless piles of rock to solve their puzzle. Striking with rhythm. Carbide against rock. Shapes that fit are moulded to fit tighter, imposed by a mason’s determined will. Patience is a virtue, but with stonework it is essential. A calm relentless selection of pieces that fit and form to the fundamental laws of wall building. A chisel shears off one last shard, mortar hits the stones below, one last lift of millions of years of pressure and time, it sits flush and stands proud, carefully tuned to the string.

From ancient monuments to modern home facades, natural stone with it’s range of earthy colours and natural texture is the product of choice for many reasons. We are EXTREMELY lucky to have attracted some world class stonemasons and landscapers to compose our team. These craftspeople led by our lead stonemason Rick, are some of the hardest working and most talented individuals in their field.

One of our main advantages as a landscape focussed company is that we have the ability and experience to complete an entire project from start to finish, typically only subbing out irrigation work to one of our trusted trades. What this means for us and what we offer, is a steady flow of prep and finishing work happening simultaneously on larger sites. This stream of workflow allows us to be more efficient and complete sections of the landscape when it makes the most sense to, not just when scheduling around other trades permits.

Our experience tells us to keep not only the entire landscape in mind as we focus in on individual tasks, but also the entire construction project as a whole. Seeing a new home and landscape project in it’s totality informs our decisions on backfilling, slopes, drainage, and structural landscape elements like retaining walls.

Crafted from locally sourced bedrock that has been blasted into pieces which are then carefully selected, our natural stonework blends a transfer of knowledge from generations of Portuguese stonemasons, Scottish dry stone wallers, and our own west coast Canadian mindset to create works of stone that are built to stand for many many years.

By combining products from suppliers like K2 Stone with cutting edge installation methods like those used with Romex Hardscape products, we find balance between meeting rigorous finishing tolerances and creating beautifully timeless patios, staircases, walkways, and walls.

Current project progress, a natural stone pool surround installed with stone from K2 Stone, and set with Romex Trass bed permeable bedding system.

Why Building a Home and Landscape Together Makes Sense

When most contractors think about building a custom home, they picture a completed, occupancy ready house. Floor plans, kitchens, windows, plumbing, finishing materials.

Then somewhere near the middle/end of the project, landscaping enters the conversation — often treated as the finishing touch once the “real” work is complete, timelines are blown, and budgets are stretched thin. Clients that are excited to move in find that they are still living in a construction zone with compactors, excavators, and dirt coating everything. The landscaping rush is on. But the best homes don’t work that way.

At Integral Design, we believe the home and landscape should be designed together from the very beginning. Not as separate projects, but as one connected experience. When a home and landscape are planned as a single vision, the result feels more natural, more functional, and ultimately more timeless. With the landscape in mind throughout the build, tasks like backfilling and rough grading can happen more accurately saving materials costs and potentially huge amounts of time over the course of a project.

When the home and landscape are move-in ready on the same day, our clients aren’t handed the keys to a construction site, they are welcomed home to their new life!

A Home Should Belong In It’s Environment

Every property has its own character. The way the sun moves across the site. Existing trees, elevation changes, privacy, views, breeze, drainage. These aren’t obstacles to design around, they’re opportunities to inform a strong design.

When the landscape is considered early in the planning process, the home can respond naturally to the property itself. Outdoor spaces feel intentional. Windows frame meaningful views, pathways create flow, and indoor and outdoor living spaces connect seamlessly. The home feels grounded instead of imposed on the landscape. That’s the difference between building on land and building with it. Better design starts with a bigger picture. When architecture and landscape are handled separately, compromises happen constantly.

A patio ends up too small because it wasn’t considered during the architectural phase. Retaining walls become expensive surprises. Drainage issues appear after construction. Outdoor spaces feel disconnected from the interior layout. These problems are common because the house was designed first, and the landscape was asked to adapt later. An integrated approach solves this early. By planning the full property experience together, every decision supports the next:

-The home placement improves privacy and views

-Outdoor living areas connect naturally to interior spaces

-Grading and drainage are handled proactively in tandem with the home build

-Materials transition seamlessly between inside and outside

-Lighting, circulation, and gathering spaces feel cohesive

The result is not only more beautiful — it’s more efficient.

Outdoor living is part of modern luxury. Today’s luxury homes are no longer defined only by square footage or finishes. They’re defined by how they are lived in, and the experiences that shape those using the spaces. Some of the most important moments in a home happen outside:

-Morning coffee on a covered terrace

-Evenings around a fire feature

-Summer dinners that move effortlessly between kitchen and patio

-Quiet garden spaces of solitude

-Pool dips that relax and soothe.

These spaces should never feel secondary. When landscape design is integrated early, outdoor living becomes part of the architecture itself — not an accessory added later. That’s where homes begin to feel complete. Integrated design also protects investment. A thoughtfully planned landscape improves not only curb appeal, but how the property functions over time. Proper grading, drainage, material planning, and circulation all contribute to the longevity of the home itself. More importantly, cohesive properties tend to age better. Trends come and go, but homes that feel connected to their environment remain timeless. That’s because they’re designed around experience rather than decoration.

At Integral Design, we see every project as more than a house. We see it as an entire living environment. Architecture, landscape, materials, light, movement, and outdoor living all shape how a property feels day to day. When those elements are designed together, the final result becomes something far greater than the sum of its parts.

A home should feel connected to the land, to the lifestyle of the people living there, and to the experience they want to create for years to come.

That’s why building the home and landscape together simply makes sense.