Georgie Awards showcase outstanding homebuilding achievements
Green building, sustainable design and innovation were first and foremost last month at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC’s 24th annual Georgie Awards, where more than 600 members attended a sold-out gala at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver Hotel to celebrate the industry’s considerable achievements.
British Columbia residential homebuilders have received international recognition for their work, leaders in creating energy and resource efficient homes. This commitment is reflected in many of the 48 award categories, which now include a number of “certified” designations.
CHBA BC members are represented in nine locals throughout the province, from seasoned veterans to fresh new faces. And the industry is thriving, contributing more than $18.2 billion in investment value to the province’s economy and creating close to 134,000 jobs.
The awards are multi-faceted, covering a broad industry spectrum, including condominiums, townhouses, low-, mid- and highrises, renovations, landscaping, kitchens, interior design, sales and marketing, in addition to customer satisfaction.
As submissions become more spectacular, the competition intensifies: multi-million-dollar estates, soaring towers, timbered vacation homes, dramatic landscaping. Among this year’s highlights: an architecturally stunning Italian palazzo overlooking a two-acre trout lake and an 8,500-square-foot pond, multiple fountains recirculating rainwater, on the site of a former gravel pit. Travelling through time to another galaxy, a Stargate sculpture, part of a spaceship on the show, with working gears and lights, has become the centrepiece of an extraordinary wine display.
Surrey’s Jaheny Custom Builders’ outstandingly beautiful Tuscan Reflections won both Best Landscape Single Family New or Renovation and Best Outdoor Living Space Custom — New or Renovation. Kliewer Brothers Construction earned the award for Best Innovative Feature — New or Renovation for its distinctive and imposing eight-by9.5-foot, 250-bottle wine cooler.
Naikoon Contracting Ltd.’s commitment to green initiatives has earned the company 12 Georgie Awards in the past two years, five this time around. The North Vancouver company’s Winton House was judged top Custom Home valued between $750,000 — $1,500,000, Best Environmental Initiative, Best Certified Home — Custom, and its Amazing Grace Best Residential Renovation $500,000 — $799,999.
President Joe Geluch is especially proud of the Grand Georgie Award for Custom Home Builder of the Year, a repeat of last year. “We’re extremely happy and proud of that and we attribute that success to our green initiatives. We’ve really been pushing that in how we build and we’re tickled pink that the stuff we’ve been doing for the past 10 years has been shown to be the right thing to do.”
The 3,400-square-foot, high-performance Winton House’s exterior has been built with locally sourced, Douglas fir timbers, western red cedar, solar PV panels and a radius green roof.
Always a strong contender, My House Design/Build Team Ltd. took home five Georgie Awards this year, three for Hillside Splendor as Best Any Room — New or Renovation, Best Certified Whole House Renovation, Best Kitchen Renovation over $100,000, along with Best Townhouse Development for Family Heritage, and a coveted Grand Georgie for Residential Renovator of the Year.
Vancouver’s Kindred Construction was a triple winner, for Custom Home valued over $3,000,000, Best Multi-Family Mid/High Rise Development, for South Creek Landing, as well as Best Public-Private Partnership for the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House.
Not only do B.C.’s residential homebuilders produce outstanding work, they also pride themselves on their professionalism. Three of the coveted Grand Georgie Awards, specifically for customer satisfaction, were given this year to Concert Properties (Multi-Family), Portrait Homes (Single-Family) and first-timer, Shirmar Construction (Renovator).
Concert also won a Grand Georgie Award for Marketing Campaign of the Year for The Creek, Portrait for Single Family Production Home Builder and Zenterra Developments for Multi-Family Home Builder. Forge Properties’ Royce — a soldout White Rock collection of 80 luxury homes — won the Grand Georgie for Residential Community of the Year, one of three awards for the neighbourhood.
“A winning project in the Georgie Awards is the top prize for builders and renovators in British Columbia. It is the best opportunity for those involved in the homebuilding industry to be recognized for their achievements amongst their industry colleagues, and showcase their successful work to clients,” said Neil Moody, CHBA BC’s CEO.
A complete list of the 2016 Georgie Award winners, finalists and an impressive gallery of photos can be found at: www.georgieawards.ca.
This story was produced by Postmedia Content Work’s editorial department as a result of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC’s interest in this topic.
The CHBA BC was not given the opportunity to put restrictions on the content or review it prior to publication.