Schenkar Luxury Homes: 20 years of craftsmanship, customer service – and no limits on location
At 7000 feet above sea level, deep in the Colombian Andes, a luxury home rises from terrain that many builders would find tricky to navigate – without any nearby suppliers, complicated logistics, and very little margin for improvisation. Yet the finished result earned not one but two features in the Architectural Digest and placed Seattle-based custom home builder, Schenkar Luxury Homes, firmly on the world map.
The Guatapé project is a profound example of the group’s complex engineering abilities, combined with bespoke architectural style and, although it continues to expand globally, the city of Seattle remains Schenkar Luxury Homes’ heartland. Following the celebration of its 20th anniversary last year, Alex Schenkar joins us to explain what this milestone means to him and reveals what lies in store for the company next. “I came up with the idea of taking this product of 20 years – the reputation, the quality, the brand – and offering it anywhere in the world,” opens the Founder and President. “It’s a fresh, new concept and it’s really taking off.” Over the past year, the business has had two primary focuses: hometown projects and global expansion.
“Seattle remains one of the strongest markets in the country for high-end luxury custom home building, alongside New York, Miami, and San Diego, and we continue to experience tremendous growth in that segment,” Alex elaborates. “After two decades, it’s fantastic to keep enjoying our hometown market while delivering an ever higher-end product built on our reputation for craftsmanship. At the same time, we’re very excited about international expansion, particularly our new office in Medellín, Colombia. We’re now operating on the international stage, fielding enquiries from clients in Dubai, Africa, and Europe. We feel very blessed by the reception we’ve received.” In addition, the divisional rebrand from Schenkar Construction to Schenkar Development indicates a wider focus than remodels, home building, and house lifting. “Making that shift communicates greater depth and range,” adds Alex. “It signals a more mature company capable of taking on different and larger projects, which, by default, is able to diversify our product offering. That matters to our clientele.”
Proudly based in Washington State, Schenkar Luxury Homes counts Seattle homeowners among its largest client base, and Alex reveals how these projects have reflected changes in design trends and client lifestyles: “Sustainability has been fundamental for at least a decade now. Clients want smart, green, highly efficient homes that are inexpensive to operate – something that’s always been a core competency of my build style. Waterfront is also a perennial priority here; we’re surrounded by lakes and ocean, and that’s naturally where the more affluent market gravitates. It’s a prime build location.” Schenkar also specializes in very dynamic topography where build sites have challenging soil conditions and steep slopes. Schenkar is widely known as the expert in ECA (Environmentally Critically Areas) and steep slope construction. Many of these build sites are nearly impossible to access and require unique geotechnical stabilization techniques and significant foundation augmentation with piles and helical earth anchors. Alex notes that the true challenge with many of these complicated build sites is coming up with very strategic ways to implement complicated plans on dynamic steep slopes. While Seattle remains at its essence, the catalyst for the group’s spread into international markets was the spectacular project in Guatapé, which generated a vast amount of exposure worldwide.
“Our Guatapé project features in Architectural Digest Poland and Architectural Digest Spain,” notes Alex. “It also featured on the cover of Design Hunter magazine in Mexico. That level of recognition produced almost overnight global visibility. The Guatapé project really demonstrated our capacity for providing full design-build services in any country – architecture, engineering, permitting, and custom construction – whether for private homes, commercial properties, or hospitality projects.” With the Architectural Digest brand receiving over 1000 submissions monthly, Alex believes being chosen by the editors confirms proof of concept. “It was a great achievement to have our body of work showcased in a world-renowned publication and we’re very grateful. It shows everybody that we can operate in remote, logistically complex environments and still deliver to the highest standard.”
Already known for high standards in quality, the home builder is demonstrating it can replicate this anywhere in the world – a key driver for further growth in the luxury market. “The bar in this industry is continually being raised,” states Alex. “Larger homes, more exotic builds and more lavish materials.” Not only is the market driving prices up, along with the rise in labor and material costs, but client demand is shifting. “Our customers are genuinely expanding their expectations and wanting more architecturally ambitious homes. We’ve moved with those needs fluidly and I think we’ve done a great job of adapting with the market.”
Schenkar Luxury Homes may be expanding considerably in its 21st year, but it never compromises on quality control – an element Alex describes as a core fundamental of his building philosophy: ‘bigger is not better.’ “We build specific homes for specific clients. I travel to each country personally to assemble the teams of subcontractors, tradespeople, architects, and engineers, and I remain the Senior Project Manager on the ground to ensure everything is cohesive.” In marketing, the group has completely redesigned its SEO and website to reflect both domestic and international capacity, promoting both sides of the business heavily across social media and digital channels. Looking ahead, Alex is excited about a particular hometown build the company is starting imminently. “We’re just starting a new waterfront project in the Seattle area; a 5000 square foot, six-bedroom, six-bathroom home with western exposure that will overlook the sunset. I personally designed this home, and it should be ready in ten to 12 months.
“Near-term, this is our priority, along with a second project in Colombia, and design and engineering work for new builds in South Africa, Dubai, and Europe. We’re growing in our ability to deliver a more perfect product, which is more important to me than volume – I never overpromise, but I always over deliver. Every year is an opportunity to learn new styles, techniques, and strategies from the tradespeople around me. The growth in knowledge is unlimited; the growth in production I like to keep in control. I’d never want to dilute the brand or the quality by overextending.”
As it marks 20 years in the business, Schenkar Luxury Homes carries forward its dedication to providing outstanding customer experience. “When somebody is having a custom home built, they want to feel involved, and confident they’re getting what they’re paying for – after all, this is somebody’s personal home and perhaps one of the largest capital investments,” concludes Alex. “It demands empathy and understanding of their expectations. It is my company’s responsibility to exceed their expectations and maintain a consistent customer service experience combined with focused project management and quality control, which is what differentiates our product at Schenkar Luxury Homes.”