Home: The Augusta by Trico Homes
Designer: Clay Betker

Every day new homes are being designed for the market, and every day new ideas and new styles are born. Some design features will weather the test of time and continue through the years, and others will fade away like short-lived fads; bright and fabulous for a short while. Whatever the styles, whatever their duration, talented designers and architects pour their ingenuity and inspiration into designing homes for our increasing population, and every day thousands of people explore showhomes sometimes without ever knowing who helped to create them. Well one of these talented individuals has been creating homes for Trico Homes – Master Home Builders.

Clay Betker, head of Design Development for Trico, has been with the company for about 2 ½ years, but says that he has been in the industry for 14 years now. He attended SAIT’s Architectural Technologies program, graduated in 1992 and has been doing what he loves ever since. “It’s always been kind of a passion for me,” says Betker. “I loved designing homes and anything related.” When asked how he ended up at Trico, Betker says that they hunted him down at a home show. “When I was doing a home show two of Trico’s top management that I had known previously, spotted me there, asked me out to coffee and the rest is history.”

One of the most recent projects that Betker has been working on is the Augusta. Destined to be built in Elmont, a community in the Broadcast Hill area, Betker says that he likes the Augusta because it offers a distinctly different floor plan. “I guess it’s nicer to see a wider project,” says Betker. “The main floor is 40 feet wide as opposed to many that are on 20 feet.” He says that Trico was able to get some property in an existing area where some land had opened up, and one of the wider lots made it possible to design such a home. There is still a front attached garage but Betker says that with this wider design it doesn’t take up the whole front of the home like some other designs. He also says that the inside of the Augusta is as unique as the exterior.

“Everything that the owner might need is on the main floor,” says Betker. “From the master bedroom and ensuite, to the dining room, kitchen, nook, great room and even the laundry room; the essentials are all on the main floor.” This 2832 square foot home incorporates over 1600 square feet on the main floor alone. This type of home is great for any family who has someone with limited mobility, as all the main amenities are close at hand. Of course the upper level has a lot to offer with another three bedrooms and a bonus room, making it a great family home. Aside from the layout, Betker says that the Augusta also has a lot of great detailing. He says the home is going to have some very interesting lines which can be seen by the vaulted entry as you come in to the home; featuring a balcony over-looking the entry from above.

“The ceilings are at different heights which is very pleasing to the eyes,” he says. “There’s a 12 foot ceiling in the great room and a ten foot ceiling in the neigbouring nook.” As well, the dining room offers a central raised ceiling which effectively adds a two foot wide bordering that is eight feet high, with a 12 foot raised ceiling in the centre. This is much more aesthetically pleasing than your regular flat and leveled ceilings.

As well, this open concept design includes dropped beams that act as room separators while still maintaining that open feeling. This is just another interesting design feature that the Augusta has to offer. 

Of course as great as the Augusta’s floor plan is, Betker says that it’s not always easy to design these homes. “It’s always a bit of a challenge to come up with something efficient,” says Betker. “There’s got to be a fine balance between functionality and creativity. You have to be able to use it as well as like the way it looks.” Betker says that considerations such as being able to move furniture up the stairs and other such small but important factors are always a part of designing a Trico home. “We really strive to take these things into consideration.” says Betker. It’s nice to know that not only are talented individuals like Clay Betker designing beautiful homes, but they are also taking into consideration today’s lifestyles and our personal needs as well as our wants.  NL