It’s time to make your pick for People’s Choice Award
Every vote counts.
Especially considering the fierce competition expected to take place for the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association’s (GOHBA) People’s Choice Award.
“It is usually a very tight race for the People’s Choice Award and this is why we encourage as many people to vote as possible,” said Linda Blanchard, chair of the Ottawa Housing Design Awards.
Voting for the coveted award, which has been sponsored by the Ottawa Citizen for the past 25 years, began Aug. 22 and will continue until Sept. 30.
Last year, there were more than 4,800 votes cast.
Two-time winner Gordon Weima said the award is among his greatest achievements.
“It’s quite an honour,” said Weima, who owns Gordon Weima Design Builder. “It’s great to get awards from your peers and people in the industry but to get an award from the general public who looked at a project and said ‘I could live in that house’ — that’s a big deal.”
The People’s Choice Award is the only prize for the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association’s Housing Design Awards that is voted on by the public. The rest are judged by industry professionals from across the country.
Last year, the winning project was Modern Farmhouse by Gordon Weima Design Builder and Ardington + Associates Design Inc.
The exterior of the Westboro home mixed stone and cedar shacks while the interior boasts hues of blue and grey and details like plaid and wood bring a country feel to a city home.
Weima said the project was a success because it reflects the family that lives there.
“It’s a place for them to escape. It’s really comfortable. It’s not over the top. It’s just beautiful. Period,” he said. Weima previously brought home the People’s Choice Award in 2011.
In 2016, Sierra Gate Homes won with a modern-themed infill home and in 2015 Greenmark Builders Inc. won with a home that was both traditional and modern.
“All of these homes were incredibly different from one another,” said Blanchard. “This demonstrates that the public doesn’t necessarily lean towards a particular taste or style but rather they appreciate great design and functionality across all styles.”
Trending this year is bright open spaces with light colours and in some instances pops of brighter colours to contrast.
There is also a lean toward modern and contemporary design, she said. Whatever your interest, Blanchard insists every ballot counts.
The public will see finalists competing in five categories, all of which have a scheduled voting period (and some have already closed).
Renovations + Design: Aug. 22Aug. 26; Bathrooms: Aug. 29-Sept. 2; Kitchens: Sept. 5- Sept. 9; Custom Homes: Sept. 12-Sept. 16; Production Homes + Condos: Sept. 19Sept. 23.
Online voting (gohbavote.ca) begins every Wednesday at 9 a.m. and ends at midnight the following Sunday. The final round of voting will take place between Sept. 26 and Sept. 30.
On Sept. 24 GOHBA will announce the two entries with the most votes in each category.
Those 14 finalists will move on to the final round of voting. You can cast your final vote at the Ottawa Fall Home Show, held at the EY Centre from Sept. 27 to Sept. 30.