Local, experienced and committed.

Jake Fry

“I lived in a small attic flat that looked over a lovely old Edwardian coach house. The building was made of brick and was covered with ivy. The little home created a wonderful courtyard set against the old main house. I liked living in that flat for no other reason than it was always so inviting to look at the little Edwardian home and its courtyard.

Like many people who like to build I take a lot of enjoyment from looking at homes and architecture. I have always liked urban settings, especially the tucked away places, where people create very personal environments. In the cities where I have traveled or lived it is always great fun to stroll down an alley, or follow a windy side street, to see what is around the corner. There is always some surprise, a new little oasis someone has made for himself or herself. These are the place I like the best.

When I first moved to Vancouver I was working as a finish carpenter. I had the good fortune to work with a great builder. He made very good homes, but they were big, very big, and I found them a little depressing. There was so much material used to make one of these buildings. I think the term monster home should refer to what these places consume in their making rather than to their final size.

Late one February afternoon while taking a break at work and reflecting on the aforementioned feeling, I was staring out from a second story window that overlooked an unpaved laneway lined with several old cedars. The view brought to mind the old Edwardian coach house. I mused about it and thought how great it would be to make a home like that for my family and I. That was the moment Smallworks started.”

. . . Jake started Smallworks in late 2005 and became a strong advocate for the introduction of laneway housing. During this time he established Smallworks Studios and Laneway Housing Inc. and worked with the City of Vancouver and other municipalities to help them develop zoning by-laws based on his experience and interaction with literally hundreds of potential small home clients.

Jake not only wanted to build small but build sustainable. He has brought together a team of dedicated people and develops homes which have a blend of innovative techniques, incorporating modern building science and Flat Pac with the hand-built finishes and millwork done in the Smallworks workshop.

“My desire in starting Smallworks was to build sustainable, attractive, modest size, family homes built to an exceptional standard.”

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