Business View Magazine - April 2024

twist. So, a home might fit with the Muskoka theme on the outside, but then the inside is white, bright, and modern; more home than cottage. Keith finds that this style has been really popular lately. ESCALATING EFFICIENCY As Matrix continues working on projects this year, their main priority is to provide their customers with the best possible quality for the most affordable price. Another priority, Kris tells us, is to focus more on efficiency when it comes to project management. As the site supervisor and soon-to-be owner, Kris wants to streamline certain things. That involves learning from each project and making tweaks to the next project, each time making things a little easier, faster, and better. Kris sees this as a recipe for success in the future of Matrix Construction. Energy efficiency remains a major priority for Matrix. There will be a new building code coming into place soon that will penalize builders for the use of fossil fuels, but these guys are way ahead of the curve. They’re currently working on a building that’s heated with an electrical heat pump, which is very energy efficient. They’re also focusing on using more ICF up to the roof, increasing insulation, and installing better barrier systems. Some of this stuff may cost more upfront but will perform much better in the long run when it comes to cost savings and what’s best for the environment. Another efficiency measure that Matrix is taking is planning to focus more on the spec market. Spec homes can be more economical to build since they don’t involve as much lead-up time. As of now, they do about 50% spec builds, and they hope to stay around there. That being said, they have no plans to abandon custom builds, even though they cost more in time. “I’d like to continue building custom homes for people and making them happy, you know, building their dreams, if you will,” Keith tells us. Building these dreams is what’s kept Matrix in 72 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 04