Meet the builder - Mike Close
This month we have the pleasure of interviewing Mike Close from Spinnaker Development, an award winning firm specializing in new construction of luxury custom homes.
Read the full interview below.
Which are the most important questions a person should ask a builder when building a new home?
This is a good question, there are really so many important talking points when opening the discussion about building a custom home. I find clients are often very intimidated by the entire process and especially fearful or concerned with contractor’s ethics. We’ve structured our firm based on complete transparency. Open book accounting, open shared competitive bid process, cloud portals for project correspondence and communication. All of these principles and programs provide our client’s assurance that things are being done “by the book” and at a high level of business ethics. The fear of the unknown can be a tough obstacle to overcome if it’s not addressed very early on in the project. Challenge your builder to provide ultimate transparency and you will find your project much more rewarding.
What is your advice for anyone that is looking for a home builder?
Get your builder involved as early as possible! - Start the process with your builder sooner than later, bringing in your builder or prospective contractor early in the design phase so that they can provide assistance in the budgeting exercise, offer clarity with potential schedule impacts driven by particular design elements, and give a clear understanding of maintenance requirements or needs. This is incredibly important to the overall success of your design to ensure there are no compromises during the build phase, make sure your entire team is on the same page early in the "pre-construction" phase.
Experience is also very important. Specifically experience working within a particular style of architecture or design. Experience working with certain individuals (architects, engineers, interior designers, local building departments, etc.)
Which was the most challenging project you ever developed?
I’m fortunate to have worked on several dynamic designs and builds and each project presents it’s own unique challenge it’s hard to narrow it down. One in particular was a large bluff lot which we constructed a nearly 12,000 foot home upon. The home’s design was very intricate with a massive subterranean level, podium construction integrating a rim-flow pool situated over living space (with a glass bottom) and several architectural and design elements that pushed the envelope. The project involved significant excavation, shoring, a massive structural & architectural concrete scope and a very high level of finish throughout.
How important is it for the builder and architect to have a working relationship?
There’s no doubt that architect builder relationship is important but no prior working experience shouldn’t be considered a “deal breaker” in my opinion. I feel strongly that prior experience presents significant value in many ways, the understanding of how each architect approaches their respective program and the nuance’s of those professionals design can give a builder an advantage against others who may not be as experienced with one particular firm. There’s also many layers to an architect’s plans. The architect is only one professional of many needed to complete the necessary construction documents for a new build. We rely heavily on the design, data and support of land surveyors, structural engineers, civil engineers, geotechnical engineers and other consultants. Having a team of qualified and experienced pros in each arena always benefits us in the field and during the bidding phase which ultimately provides unseen value to our clients.
What’s the best part about your work?
Honestly I love how this profession keeps your wheels turning every day. No day is like another, every day presents it’s own unique challenge and it keeps you constantly on your toes. The most rewarding part of the job is seeing your work so prominently displayed within the community you live in. Every day I drive home and get to admire a few past builds on my way. It’s like being an artist living in your own art gallery, pretty unique aspect of the job.
What do you love most about Famosa?
Famosa is our go to for all things stone & tile. They have a tremendously vast product offering and a wonderfully designed space which makes stone & tile shopping fun. Vanessa and Angie are very knowledgeable about all their product lines and materials. Both of them make the sometimes overwhelming process of tile selection much more fluid. Their location is a bonus, Soco is a frequent destination for builders and designers to visit since many of our vendors showrooms are so conveniently located in this unique center.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Where do you start here? Family, community, reputation and past success. My father has been a massive source of inspiration for me. I grew up watching the man’s tireless work ethic and unparalleled dedication to his family and business. What really stood out to me is how he’s devoted his life in retirement to philanthropy, faith and his family. He’s engrained so much character in me without knowing it, I’m a better husband, father and businessman because of it.
My family is very important to me and maybe my biggest source of inspiration. I’m a lucky husband and proud father of two beautiful young girls who inspire me to be better on every level and continue to improve myself each day.
Community is huge, when you work within your own backyard you’re continually inspired by your own community. Whether that’s the community of architects, designers, builders and industry affiliates or the people you may have worked with, inspired or taken inspiration from. When you’re surrounded by talent and good nature it’s up to you to realize that inspiration. We’re in a reputation based industry and our work is heavily focussed in our own hometown and especially in the community I live in, you will never hide from your reputation and that’s plenty of motivation alone to be the best version of yourself.
Past success will always be a source of reflection to help overcome the struggles that we all face in this industry from time to time.
How would you define success?
Success to me is overcoming your challenges without compromise. How one deals with adversity says a lot about their character. I’ve always based my approach to my business on core values and principles. Those values and principles have become a foundation for our success. There’s no playbook for doing things the right way in each respective industry, it’s up to you to create your own. When the road gets bumpy we fall back on those ethics for inspiration.
Also try to be happy… always. There’s no such thing as success without happiness.
What’s next for your company in the future?
We’re always learning, always improving and striving to better our approach. I’ve seen a positive shift in the team dynamic within our specific industry where architects, builders and designers are collaborating better than ever before. This is resulting in a much better client-team dynamic where our clients feel fully informed and confident in the process. I would like to continue to implement technologies & programs for communication, visualization and overall project coordination to fully enhance the design-build approach to residential homebuilding. Our clients will only continue to benefit from enhanced project communication which will only better our industry as a whole.
Thank you Mike!
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