A FAST-TRACK TO PERSONALIZATION
Award winning builder Kanvi offers streamlined process for bespoke designer homes
Kanvi Homes is looking to cut down the waiting time for home buyers seeking to move into a new custom built home.
The award-winning builder — it took two awards, including one of the top three at the recent Canadian Home Builders' Association-Edmonton Region Awards of Excellence in Housing gala — said it has found a way to cut that wait by more than half.
Moving forward, Kanvi will be designing and building bespoke designer homes on spec, said Kanvi president Farhan Virani, noting that this will mean quicker possessions for families who are looking for a new Kanvi home but need one sooner rather than later.
“We've found recently that there is an increasing number of families that lead busier lifestyles and don't have the time to put into a full scope design-build but that have a discerning taste in design and want something unique and well-built to call home for their family,” said Virani. “We are looking at going one step further on this and extending the option for personalization of selections on these bespoke designer homes up to when they get into the drywall stage.”
Under this change, Virani said Kanvi will be able to get clients into a personalized home in about four to five months, depending on the stage of that build, versus what would have likely been 15 to 18 months or more on a full scope design-build.
“We're excited about this as it gives our team design and creative flexibility, while ensuring potential clients enjoy the comfort of our designs, and construction quality, which is a hallmark of the Kanvi brand,” said Virani.
AWARD WINNING
At the 2024 edition of the CHBA Edmonton Region awards, Kanvi was named Builder of the Year- Small Volume and won for Best Single-Family $700,000 to $850,000 for its Onyx model.
Kanvi was also a finalist in three categories, securing two spots — its Element and Ethos models — in the Best Single Family $600,000 to $700,000 category; its Aura model was also up against its Onyx in the $700,000 to $850,000 segment and it had one more finalist in the Best Single Family $1 million to $1.5 million, for a customized version of its Onyx model.
“The Onyx floor plan has been a highly desired model, striking a strong balance between architectural design elements and offering a very functional family floor plan, which also allows various options to be customized to a family's personal lifestyle,” said Virani.
“It starts at 3,000 square feet and highlights a number of our signature `Kanvi' elements like a dropped foyer, elevation changes throughout, clean sight lines, open riser featured staircase, and our oversized windows throughout. We've had a few Onyx show homes over the years and each one has had refined improvements. The current bespoke Onyx show home (in Arbours of Keswick) has features like a butler's pantry, floor-to-ceiling wine display, upper floor theatre room and an in-home gym.”
As to what it's like winning one of the evening's top awards — Builder of the Year- Small Volume — at that mid-March gala, Virani said Kanvi is extremely honoured.
“Unlike the list of finalists being announced in advance of the gala for the various single-family home categories, finalists for the Builder of the Year- Small Volume for 2024 are announced on the night of the awards, and between this and being busy throughout the evening socializing, we had no anticipation leading up to this award, and thus it was not top of mind at all for us in the moment,” said Virani.
“Least to say, hearing Kanvi announced as a finalist was a great surprise to start the award off, and then to be the recognized as the winner — Builder of the YearSmall Volume for 2024 — amongst so many great builders, took us by complete surprise!”
This was the second time in the past five years that Kanvi took home this award, having won it in 2020 when the awards were held virtually due to the pandemic.
“This time getting the recognition live at the gala and amongst other very deserving builders and industry professionals in the region was a real honour for our team,” added Virani.
BUSY TIMES
This past year has been a busy one for Kanvi and its team, executing on 46 custom build contracts signed in a 12-month span. Virani also noted that this was during the peak of the market and through supply-chain challenges.
Kanvi, a fully integrated design-build firm that blends innovative architecture and modern esthetics, has show homes in both Jagare Ridge and Arbour Estates (Arbours of Keswick), and its new builds span across Edmonton and surrounding areas.
Its current active areas of project developments include (in addition to Keswick and Jagare Ridge), Belgravia, Parkallen, Forest Heights, St. Albert (Jensen Lakes and Orchard Court), Windermere and Ardrossan.