Projects by Giesbrecht Buildings Inc.
Custom homes, renovations, and precision craft builds across Campbell River and Vancouver Island.
Browse a selection of our work — from foundations and framing to finishes, mechanical, and outdoor living spaces.
Saratoga Beach House
Saratoga Beach House was interesting because, building that close to the beach, there’s a new 100-year floodplain requirement that you have to meet. Basically, anything below that elevation—set by the surveyors—you can’t have any electrical or mechanical systems, or even wood framing. So we had to build the concrete foundation 9 feet out of the ground just to get to the main floor elevation.
The main floor was a polished, heated concrete slab. Everything below it could potentially be underwater one day, even if only for a short time. That concrete floor is one unique element. Then there’s the mass timber—oversized timbers that all came from Island Timber Frame. The owner of the house actually owned a woodlot out by Browns Bay. He felled the trees himself, put them on a logging truck, and took them directly to Island Timber Frame.
Island Timber Frame milled everything to spec, manufactured and fit all the beams, and then shipped it back to us for assembly. So it’s literally all his own wood. The live-edge flared cedar posts by the staircase—there are two of them—were hand-picked and hand-felled by the owner himself. Every piece of wood in that house came from his lot.
This home is the perfect example of that beautiful blend of core materials: concrete, wood, steel, and glass. You can feel it when you walk in. The concrete floor has that heavy, earthy presence. The live-edge yellow cedar post is pure, raw nature sitting right in the middle of the home. Then you’ve got the glass railings, huge windows, and floating staircase with steel components holding it all together.
Architecturally, it’s incredibly satisfying. All the materials are exposed, balanced, and working together—nothing is hidden. And every time you open a window or step outside, that ocean air hits you. You can smell the salt, hear the waves—it’s just an incredible property and a truly one-of-a-kind build.
Nebraska House
The Nebraska house felt like it was ahead of its time in terms of contemporary design. With its off-angle roof slopes and very unique, modern architecture, it made a statement Campbell River just wasn’t seeing yet. It got a lot of attention for that reason — even Maryland Developments, the developer of Maryland Estates, said it increased lot prices for the next phase because of how much buzz it created.
Everyone driving past it noticed. It really set the tone for the neighborhood.
We used mixed siding, incorporated some stucco details, and added features like metal fascia wraps and cedar soffits — things that were new to the area at the time. Wiley, the stucco guy in town now, had just moved to Campbell River, and this was one of the first houses he worked on locally. The way we blended stucco with other exterior materials made the home stand out.
It wasn’t a stock floor plan either. The design was custom — from Form Design. The home backed right onto the green space at the entrance to the next phase of Maryland Estates, which gave it great visibility and presence.
So for Maryland Estates to say that this house helped increase lot prices in the area? That’s pretty cool. It means we really hit the mark.
Lake House
A few things stood out about the Lake House project. It was an interesting build, especially because the owner wanted the house right on the ridge of the lake — as close to the water as possible.
There was an existing house already on the property that the owner lived in, so we had to tear it down. The tricky part was, if we had removed the original foundation entirely, we would have been forced to move the new house back another 15 meters from the bank due to current regulations. Instead, we left a portion of the old foundation — a piece of history, really — and built off of it. That old concrete was out of square and not level, which caused some challenges getting the first floor in place, but it allowed us to build the new home right at the water’s edge.
Today, when you’re standing on the deck leaning on the railing, you’re looking straight down the bank to the lake. Not many people get that kind of view — and the foundation work made it possible. That old piece of concrete, complete with hand-painted graffiti, is still there under the home as a tribute to the site’s history.
Another cool feature was the main floor, which used an inch-and-a-half-thick layer of Gypcrete — something I had never worked with before. We installed in-floor heating using a boiler and water pipe system, and then poured the self-leveling cypcrete over it. The result? From one end of the house to the other, the floor is perfectly level. That made tiling — with massive 2’x4’ tiles — a dream. Normally, getting those to line up with staggered grout joints is a challenge, but with the cypcrete, it turned out flawless.
Outside, we used powder release stamped concrete on both entrances. Three different powder colours — brown, grey, and black — were used to create a rich, slate-like effect. The powder also allowed the stamps to lift cleanly, leaving no pull marks behind. It’s one of the nicest stamped patios we’ve ever done.
Inside, we added lighted stairs — a special feature built by a UK-trained, ticketed fitter who was working for me at the time. His craftsmanship was outstanding, and those stairs became a standout element with sentimental value for the whole team. We always strive to bring in top-tier tradespeople and pay them properly — that staircase is proof of what that kind of talent can produce.
Another subtle but clever feature was the concealed kitchen wall panel near the sink. It pulls back to reveal storage behind — a unique solution that wouldn’t work everywhere, but for a lakefront house, it’s a perfect fit. It blends aesthetics with functionality in a really cool way.
Even though it didn’t have a mechanical latch, the panel used a deadbolt and roller catch — meaning no visible handle, just a large pull bar. It’s the kind of hidden detail that adds character to a custom build like this one.
Shetland House — On the Fairway
Shetland was a special house because the owners were repeat customers. I had built a 5,000 square foot home for them about nine years ago — a beautiful place. But as their family kept growing, they realized there were things that home didn’t have. They wanted a bonus room above the garage, an extra bedroom, a rec room, and more covered outdoor living space. They also wanted the new home to have a bit more visual impact and personality.
Getting hired a second time to build their next house — right next door to the original one — was pretty special. It meant a lot to be trusted again, and I really wanted to knock it out of the park. The timber framing, the design, and the execution all came together beautifully.
They knew exactly what they wanted this time around because the layout was very similar to their first home. They could stand in their old house and say things like, “We want to be able to go through a door here,” or, “We need a rec room here, a bonus room above the garage, and let’s keep the chairs and bathroom where they are.” They loved the location of the bedroom, and wanted to connect the two patios to create one big outdoor space.
Being able to take all of their specific requests and turn them into a new, improved home — and have them thrilled with the result — was really fulfilling.
The hand-framed bonus room was one of the biggest challenges. It was the first time I’d ever framed a room that involved structural valley beams due to the roof shape. Normally, we’d use attic trusses for a bonus room, but this one was too complex. The framing was too technical, with odd-placed beams and unequal slope intersections — from a 14/12 pitch to a 12/12 pitch.
That meant all the valleys and hips weren’t running on typical 45° angles. We had to lay the roof out on the floor just to get reference points, plumb up, and make sure everything aligned. With unequal slopes intersecting, suddenly you’re pulling out your calculator and doing all the math they taught you back in school 20-something years ago. It really put our carpentry skills to the test.
In the end, it came out beautifully. The drywallers were impressed with how straight all the planes lined up. The painters and finishers all commented on how clean and tight the structure was. That kind of praise matters — it means the extra effort during framing paid off.
All the rafters were hand-cut, so if your cuts were sloppy or out of plane, that would show up big time when the drywall went on. You can’t fix that with tape. Seeing those perfectly straight drywall lines reminded me why we took so much care getting those framing planes right. Every detail in that house reflected that kind of precision.
