WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION Kim Larson leads All Elements Design.Manage.Build in Kelowna, B.C. with her passion to transform dreams into bricks and mortar Canadian Design and Construction Report special feature Kim Larson's passion to transform dreams into bricks and mortar attracted her to an ar- chitectural career, then owning her own con- struction company. She now directs All Elements Design.Manage.Build in Kelowna, B.C. Larson’s interest in design and construction reached back to her childhood. She began working in local design firms at the age of 14. She completed her architectural technology degree at the University of California, also achieving an AutoCAD Technology certificate and an interior design minor. She says despite the fact women often have the skills required for design – creativity and attention to detail – there were few women among her colleagues. “When I was in school there were only three women in my program,” she said. “Once I hit the workforce, I saw very few in the field.” She says she felt early on she had to prove herself in the industry and a few comments fu- eled her desire to do exactly that. “One instruc- tor told me it was hard for women to succeed in the industry and there was a contractor who told me I was just a girl so didn’t know what I was talking about.” She has proven her knowledge and skill. Larson worked in California, Vancouver and Australia before returning to the Okanagan Val- ley. Here she pursued her dream of starting her own luxury residential construction company and All Elements was born. “I love the entire realm of building. That, and the understanding things could be done differ- ently is the reason for the company.” Larson has sought to eliminate the difficul- ties associated with custom home design, in- cluding ineffective communication between architects and construction companies and in- efficient relationships within the design, con- struction and client triangle. She says in the early days the company con- sisted of herself, her colleague Stephan Ams and one tradesman. To get things done, Lar- son worked hands-on, doing what needed to be done. Now, the company is larger, employ- ing between eight and 18. However, she re- mains in close contact with individual projects and clients. 48 – Summer 2014 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report