It feels like climbing a really big mountain. You fully commit to the project by buying a plot of land and clearing it for excavation. From that point on, you are invested in one goal, which, depending on the project, you could call your summit: sale, occupancy or rental. Like a climb, it will take a lot of energy, time, tools and work. You will need a reasonable comfort level with working at heights, whether on ladders, scaffolding, fall protection, up in trusses on the roof or in a mechanical lift.

Depending on the square footage, number of stories and the fact that I’m working alone, it might take a year or two to finish. Currently I am working on an apartment, but before this I built a spec house on the coast of Lake Michigan up north.

When building alone, you have a lot of time to think — that has been my experience. Many tasks are repetitive enough that you can get into a rhythm. Think of laying oak flooring board by board: I set up my saws and nailer, turn on the music and let my thoughts wander. During repetitive tasks, I often think about the desk jobs I had in the past and why I chose this route, my next bike ride, my issues with social media ... whatever is on my mind. For me, it can be kind of meditative.

The weather can be extreme: building in below-freezing temps with no heat or roofing in the summer under the sun. You have to plan for and manage extremes — it isn’t for everyone. This particular house I made of concrete and steel. I wanted something that could withstand tornadic winds, wildfires, a large tree fall and have a strong thermal and energy envelope.

I try to be sustainable and conserve resources. When I had to harvest five large white oaks during clearing, I took the logs to a mill, and that became the flooring, shelving and wall paneling.

Like Econ 101, it’s about supply and demand. When you climb a mountain, on most days, you have the summit to yourself — supply is up (there are lots of mountains) and demand is pretty low. With housing, in my experience, it has generally been the opposite.

Brad Lystra ’00 is a builder in northern Michigan who has worked on a variety of projects. He also consults with homeowners looking to rebuild houses in sensitive and challenging environments, promoting materials and design processes tailored to strength and sustainability.