Lincoln Park’s hidden limestone secrets
No one knows Lincoln Park’s secret streets sprinkled with palatial homes better than Rodger Owen. In his 30-plus years of building many of the most marvellous, he describes his construction of custom homes as giving families exactly what they want.
Although his firm, BGD&C, also builds in the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, where he lives with his wife, Janet, is closest to his heart: “When Janet and I sit outside we can still hear crickets. We are just six to eight blocks from the lakefront, but there is so much less noise and congestion.”
Rodger shared some perspective on the neighbourhood’s history when it comes to buying and building:
“In the at least 30 years that I have built custom homes there, the whole market has changed. At first, people went to the neighbourhood looking for lower pricing. They might tear out a bathroom or do a new kitchen, but that was usually the extent of their changes.
“The next wave of owners would tear more out. Finally, there was a period of total gutting of existing homes. We have now moved to new construction. Although there is not much vacant land, there are still a few frame structures that do not have much residential or historic value as well as vacant land, some doublewide lots. People in the market know that Lincoln Park offers less congestion, less noise, and a little more space.”
Affable and wise, Rodger is one of our town’s best listeners, a quality that suits his career. Realtors use words like “transparent” and “down to earth” to describe him. Schooled in the South of France and in Madrid through special programs in high school and college, a thousand years of European architecture and history have continued to fascinate him:
“There’s not a specific style that attracts me, but I do enjoy details and symmetry—the way things are put together and the reasons for that. When you stand out in front of a house, you see how many elements have to work to make it right. Whether you are setting a table or arranging flowers, you want a sense of order. Some asymmetry is good, but it takes talent to get it right.
“Janet and I love to travel. When we see houses and cathedrals from so long ago, I see so much detail—I see the painstaking process the builders had to use.”
Rodger says that 99 percent of Lincoln Park properties are customised for the owner, with only one percent custom built. About 20 percent of his clients already own the land where they would like to build. Rodger himself has an inventory of properties in the area. BGD&C does it all according to their clients’ specifications: design, architecture, engineering, and construction. And many of these partnerships have become lasting friendships.
“Most of my clients are families that need space for their children—whether very young or teenagers. They want yard space for the kids to enjoy being outside. They like looking at a restful garden, such as the ones Scott Byron often designs for us, or eating alfresco. Most have a strong and sophisticated idea of what they are looking for and come in with tear-outs, photos, or designs they like. Some have gone on Houzz, which has millions of photos of just about everything you can imagine.
“Since we start with no preconceived ideas or drawings, a whole lot of effort goes into the project. Every nut, bolt, screw, color, where you want the light switch to be, and on and on: these are client choices. We take great pride and satisfaction in the actual work, what you can touch and see. Watching it come out of the ground is terrific.”
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