- Story by Erin McPhee Photography by Don Denton

Erik Larsen didn害羞草研究所檛 have to look far to find a suitable mission statement for his Victoria-based boutique construction firm.

Having completed a bachelor of arts degree in English literature at the University of Victoria before switching gears entirely to pursue a career in the construction industry, he was always inspired by the words of countless literary masters.

And inspiration, as well as personal motivation, was precisely what the Victoria native was striving for. Just after he launched his own company, the Larsen Group, in 2008, the economy crashed, severely limiting local construction work.

害羞草研究所淚 had the time to go back and look at Thoreau in particular, who I had always loved out of all the transcendentalists because he was such a practical guy,害羞草研究所� said Erik. 害羞草研究所淭he whole idea of profit extending beyond the monetary 害羞草研究所� where do you profit in your life? 害羞草研究所� and letting that reframe how you see the world and approach problems. A big piece of that was me trying to sort through my own anxieties and depression over a lack of work, but also it gave me direction and focus.害羞草研究所�

Over a decade later, the Thoreau quote is still featured prominently on the Larsen Group害羞草研究所檚 website, expressing to future clients who Erik is and why he does what he does.

It also helps keep Erik, a 40-year-old married father of two, grounded. The Gonzales Bay resident says he and his wife, Catherine, an executive at Island Health, continue to make a concerted effort to balance their demanding work and home lives.

害羞草研究所淲e learned a few years ago that we害羞草研究所檝e had to leave our work at the door and allow the jobs to not define us as individuals but to support a happy home life,害羞草研究所� he says.

Erik is proud of the fact that the Larsen Group gives him the freedom to be more present at critical times with his growing children.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very easy to start a company and then have it own you, and I害羞草研究所檓 proud to have been successful and to have happy clients and happy employees and also have it not control and dominate my life,害羞草研究所� he says.

When they害羞草研究所檙e not busy with work or school, the Larsen family can be found on the mountain year-round, skiing or snowboarding in the winter, and mountain biking during the warmer months. They also enjoy spending time in the personal oasis they害羞草研究所檝e created in the backyard of their 120-year-old, three-storey home. Since moving in 11 years ago, Erik has devoted countless hours to renovating it.

害羞草研究所淲e did quite an extensive hardscaping, multi-deck exterior job with a nice firepit and hot tub and there害羞草研究所檚 a big kids害羞草研究所� character-style home in the back, a kids害羞草研究所� playhouse,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淭he creative angle of that was a lot of fun 害羞草研究所� from design and construction. There was a lot of concrete that I was out there pouring myself. It came together really well. It害羞草研究所檚 great to have. The whole yard is another room to the house. We spend a ton of time out there.害羞草研究所�

Next, Erik plans to turn his attention to the inside of the house, which is shaping up to be slightly more challenging.

害羞草研究所淪tarting with something that害羞草研究所檚 that old is, I would say, a lot less fun,害羞草研究所� he laughs. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a ton of head-scratching and it害羞草研究所檚 taking me a few years just to get my head around the engineering and to try and sort it out.害羞草研究所�

Erik is definitely up to the challenge, however, coming from a long line of woodworkers, carpenters and tradesmen.

害羞草研究所淓ven my grandfather was a woodworker,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淓veryone always had shops. At a young age there are pictures of my dad and I when I was three and four in the shop with him. He would build boats, constantly renovate the house, small appliance repair, you name it. It害羞草研究所檚 always just been a natural thing.害羞草研究所�

Erik害羞草研究所檚 siblings have followed a similar path. His brother is a custom furniture builder and his sister is an interior designer, and they often collaborate on professional projects.

And now Erik害羞草研究所檚 eldest child, nine-year-old Kai, seems to be showing a similar interest in maintaining the family legacy.

害羞草研究所淜ai has an engineer害羞草研究所檚 mindset and is really fascinated with architecture and buildings in general,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淗e loves the Vancouver downtown library. Stuff like that really blows his mind. My father was a draftsman and a city planner as well as a carpenter, so it definitely runs in the family. It wouldn害羞草研究所檛 surprise me if Kai decided to go down that road. And my daughter Ella, 7, is all about dance.害羞草研究所�

Erik is incredibly proud of the team he has created with the Larsen Group and their wide-ranging skill set, allowing them to handle every facet of a renovation, from design to construction to hand-built furnishings for rooms.

害羞草研究所淥ur distinguishing factor is our in-house suite of services,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淏eing able to take on a project and handle the majority of the items gives you a massive degree of control over the progression and the costing of the job and I think that害羞草研究所檚 a huge benefit.害羞草研究所�

Maintaining an expansive service list is incredibly important to Erik and speaks to another aspect of his company害羞草研究所檚 mission statement. By allowing his staff more opportunities to be creative and to do different things, he hopes he害羞草研究所檚 feeding their respective passions for the work. By prioritizing this approach, which is more old-world in nature, Erik is intentionally revitalizing the classic role of a carpenter.

And he hopes Thoreau would approve.

Take a look at what Erik and the .

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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