Ray Smith, architectural designer for Crossley Custom Homes, says from early on he was interested in creating homes. “I always had an interest as a kid and I wanted to be an architect,” says Ray. “I spent a lot of time playing with Lego.”

Ray says despite this creative impulses, along the way he got sidetracked and ended up with a degree in geology. “I worked for a couple of years after I graduated, but it was a bad time for the industry,” says Ray. “I eventually decided to go to SAIT, where I took the Architectural Technologies program.” In 1992 Ray graduated from that program and spent a couple of years work­ing with some builders, and eventually went out on his own. “Crossley was one of my biggest clients and when I found out that they were looking for someone fulltime, I applied for the position,” remembers Ray. “They hired me as their architectural designer, and I’ve been with them for almost four years now.”

One of Ray’s favourite single-family home designs is called the Oldman. This 2,308-square-foot home offers three optional upper-floor designs to choose from, ensuring there is some­thing that will appeal to just about everyone. “I like this model because I designed it for a specific area in Okotoks,” says Ray. “I actually designed the floor plan around the nook, which took advantage of the golf course and mountain views. I really like the symmetry of the nook, and with the patio doors on both sides it’s almost like being in a sunroom or outside.”

There are lots of nice features about the Oldman, but Ray says there are architectural details that stand out more than others for him. “I like the flexibility of the upper-floor plans, the ability to choose to have the bonus room at the front or the back of the home, or to choose to have a large area of the upper floor open to below,” he says. “I also liked the large mudroom with the lockers and bench-seating and the walk-through pantry leading to the spacious kitchen.”

Meanwhile, this spacious kitchen also includes a large island that makes it a comfortable setting for entertaining, and with the nook and scores of windows at the rear of the home, the main floor is also nice and bright. And the upper level takes advantage of the unique design of the nook below, creating a beautiful retreat area in the master bedroom and once again taking advantage of the rear views. In addition to the retreat, the master bedroom includes a large ensuite with a five-foot shower that’s separate from the tub, as well as a large vanity and a large attached walk-in closet.

Ray says that he faced some challenges when designing the Oldman. “The framers didn’t like the shape of the roof because it was a difficult roof to frame,” says Ray. “Also I ended up designing the laundry room on the upper level, and went with a stacking washer and dryer, due to one of Okotoks’ building specifications. The town of Okotoks must use front-load washers and dryers as they are better for water conservation, which places less of a load on Okotoks’ existing sewer systems. In this case the stacking units also save space in the home.”

The Oldman is slated to be Crossley’s next showhome in United Communities’ Crystal Ridge neighbourhood in Okotoks, so those in the market for a new home will be able to tour this unique floor plan in person in the near future.  NL