The Next 100 Years

RSI Projects’ focus is on building for the next 100 years.

The next 100 years of our buildings durability.
The next 100 years of energy demand.
The next 100 years of people using our buildings.
The next 100 years of partnerships.
The next 100 years of our teams wellbeing.

With a constant eye on the super long term impacts of our methods, practices, and procedures, we see our work a little differently. Through the lens of the coming century we see how important it is to make sure that we build a resilient and durable building. This means we need to carefully look at all the known building practices and ensure that we adopt only the ones proven to withstand the test of time and weather. We need to carefully look at the materials we are using, and how we are putting them together to make sure that they will endure several lifetimes of rain, snow, wind and use.

A very large part of a buildings resiliency is the energy demand of living in the building. The less energy needed to heat and cool the building, the longer it takes for the building to cool off or heat up, the less vulnerable it is to the impacts of a lengthy power outage. The less energy the building needs, the less demand there is on the energy system as a whole, which means less need for energy generation. Then, once we factor in 100 years of the occupants comfort, it is a no-brainer, energy efficiency is a hugely valuable part of this equation.

Knowing that our choices will be visible and scrutinized for generations means that we cannot get away for simply “good enough” design choices. We need to consider every choice with the weight of the hundreds of thousands of times it will be admired, touched, and enjoyed. We need to consider the full range of the generations that will be using these spaces, be they very young, raising a family or enjoying their sunset years.

It is not only our projects that need to last 100 years, our business needs that long so that we can continue to build better, and to look after our projects as they need it. For this we will need very strong relationships with a large network of partners. Partners that are invested in this vision. Partners that understand that business as usual is not enough. Partners like clients, designers, suppliers, and sub-trades that not only share our vision, but are also willing to go the extra mile with us to make it a reality.

For us to be able to meet these demands, we also need an extraordinary team internally. We need to attract and cultivate the best people to help deliver these projects. We need to invest heavily in the recruitment, training, and cultivation of this team. These are not employees, they are the engine of the whole machine.

Residential Projects

How we work

Design Consult

Of the many details that need to be considered in a build project of any size, the first is what you want and need. To answer this, we engage in a thorough consulting process in which we work with you to flesh out two levels of understanding: tangible requirements and the intangible needs.

First, the checklist of tangible requirements. How many rooms? What kind of cabinets? Mobility needs? What kind of target budget are you looking to work with? These types of questions are the clearly defined parameters we will need to work within.

Then we need to flesh out the intangible needs. What kind of mood are you looking to achieve? What will the personality of the usage be like? What kinds of textures and colours will suit your palette the best? These are the tricky, slippery, and often vague qualities that go into making sure a project satisfies needs that the client did not know they had.

Proposal

With a clear understanding of both the tangible and intangible needs of the project, we prepare the design proposal. This proposal will show you a sketch of the solutions we are suggesting, along with a likely timeline, and approximate budget. This gives you the chance to see where the project can go, and what it will take to get it there.

Design

Once the proposal has been given an enthusiastic green light, we will work to prepare floor plans, elevations, colour choices, material choices, fixtures, and furniture choices. Couple this with renderings of the proposed changes, and we give you a clear vision of what we can do for your space.

Scheduling

Scheduling is a pivotal responsibility of ours that affords us two opportunities. First, we can ensure that all the elements of the construction process are lined up and booked well in advance, minimizing room for delays and surprises. Secondly, and as importantly, it lets us offer you a road map for what to expect, and when to expect it. Here we can flag any hard dates that we will need to work around, and plan accordingly.

Construction

From the first swing of the sledge hammer to the last paint touch up, this is where co-ordination and communication become the cornerstones of this business. Extensive effort is put into making sure that all sub-trades and labour are co-ordinated to make every step of the project run as smoothly as possible.

Completion

The project is not done until we all agree it is done. Simple as that.

All completed RSI Projects are backed by a one-year warranty. Which means we do it right.

Who We Are

RSI Projects is a network of design professionals, carpenters, sub-trades, artisans, and suppliers who all work together to deliver your project. Co-ordination is the heart of our business. In the centre of all of this is the core RSI team, they are:

NICK RUDNICKI
Project Lead/Designer

Over the years, Nick’s experience co-ordinating a range of projects has cultivated strong project management practices that ensures the many elements of a project that need to be kept in balance stay that way.

Nick’s formal education in fine arts means that he has cultivated a refined and clear understanding of the aesthetic world. Add to this years of building experience, and an ongoing thirst for research into old and new building practices, and you get a formidable offering of both beautiful and practical design and build skills.

JAMES PARKER
Lead Carpenter

James has been a life-long maker. From as early as he can remember he has been creating things with his hands. When he discovered how incredibly versatile wood can be, he knew he found his calling. After many years of experience across a number of trades such as cabinet installing and cabinet building, James found himself a great home in the always changing and always challenging environment of RSI Projects.

LONG NGUYEN
Assistant Carpenter

Long time service provider, Long came to RSI Projects eager to build things that will last. Working with and learning from Nick and James, Long has become a hugely valuable asset for RSI. Helping grow the skills we offer and productivity we can achieve.

Testimonials

A selection of what some of our satisfied clients had to say about our work:

Nick brings multiple strengths to a building project – artistic flair, technical competence, a keen sense of responsibility, and a pleasant demeanour. He’s a joy to work with.

Peter N. Duinker
Professor
School for Resource and Environmental Studies
Dalhousie

Nick and his team transformed my cold unfinished basement into comfortable extra room. He was very clear and open with us right from the beginning and saying that Nick and his team delivered quality work seems like an understatement. Thanks to the hard work that they put in, my family has a beautiful new space that we can all enjoy together for many years to come.

Austin Taylor
Homeowner

Nick gave us a competitive quote and, along with his skilled team of trades people, delivered solid work from start to finish. He brought a great colour palette, researched/found solid bang-for-our-buck materials, and remained flexible with our evolving design ideas. When we discovered an old hardwood floor underneath two layers of carpet and tiles, Nick readily embraced our desire to save it. He explained what the budget and schedule impact would be and then logged fifty hours sanding and finishing what has become one of the dominant features of our offices.

Paul Caskey
Artistic Director
Live Art Dance

When we needed to renovate our new office space, we chose RSI. They were able to hear our needs for a design that reflected our company’s culture, while keeping a close eye on costs, logistics, and deadlines. Thanks to the RSI team’s flexibility and open communication, they were able to not only develop a beautiful design for the space, but see it executed in time for us to move into our new space.

Karen Spaulding
CEO
Metaworks