Long before Phil Kean earned an architecture degree and MBA, and before he was awarded such industry accolades as American Institute of Architects Florida Builder of the Year Award, he was a youngster making fond memories at Walt Disney World^® Resort. And for one special summer as a high schooler, Phil was a Cast Member.

So it has been "a tremendous honor," as he puts it, to now come full circle as one of the homebuilders within Golden Oak, building one of the first-ever homes with modern architectural style within Four Seasons Private Residences Orlando.

As is our tradition at The Leaf, we recently welcomed Phil with some get-to-know-you questions for our readers.

Q: What inspired you to become a builder... and then to focus on custom homebuilding?
A: My dad built luxury homes in Vero Beach and Stuart, Florida. As a young boy, I would often go with him to the job sites. Dad would hand me the blueprints and I would find the walls on the drawings. I loved how building and architecture was a puzzle game for me. I still approach them that way, by taking a holistic approach to putting together architecture, design and interiors.

Q: What do you find exciting about building within Four Seasons Private Residences Orlando?
A: Within Four Seasons Private Residences Orlando, we are building the first home with a modern architecture style. And since we're at Walt Disney World^® Resort, we took inspiration from the Contemporary Hotel, the monorails, the trams and EPCOT^®, for example, and how cool they were when they were built and remain to this day. The legendary imagination behind them has helped inspire the design of this exceptional home. That's very exciting.

It's exciting to be one of the builders within Golden Oak. There's a level of excellence throughout Disney that you have to admire. And the people are so nice. Who'd think you could have a Disney experience on a construction site? But you do here!

Q: When your clients sing your company's praises, what do you most often hear/what really stands out?
A: We have a reputation for excellence and quality, for providing a white-glove experience. Our clients like that the entire start-to-finish process is all under one roof. Architect, builder, designer, landscape designer—we handle everything. We use a lot of great technology to help our clients visualize design and selection ideas, which makes it really easy when clients are visiting Walt Disney World^® Resort and need to make the most of their time with us.

Q: What aspect of being a homebuilder do you find personally the most rewarding?
A: Making our clients' dream homes a reality. It's rewarding to start with a client's initial ideas and requirements and to deliver a customized, one-of-a-kind home with a level of design and creativity that surpasses their highest expectations. I'm a big believer in making dreams come true.

Learn more about Phil Kean Design Group's under-construction home at Four Seasons Private Residences Orlando, scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2019.