A SALUTE TO INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE
Whistler log home reno among finalists for Georgie Awards
Weekend warriors and do-it-yourself addicts would appreciate the challenge that RDC Fine Homes faced when it tackled the renovation of a ski resort home at Whistler. It was not just any home. It was a 4,500-square-foot log house.
“Nothing is flat in a log home — you see homes that are not plumb or square, but a log home takes that to a whole new level,” said Bob Deeks, president of Whistler-based RDC Fine Homes, for whom the project garnered two of the company’s six finalist nominations in the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of B.C.’S 2020 Georgie Awards.
RDC cut new windows and moved at least one wall in the mid-1990s structure to improve the home’s functionality and give it a more “contemporary look.”
Meanwhile, My House Design/ Build Team Ltd., a Surrey-based renovation firm, again topped the list of contenders with 18 nominations this year — six more than the company received last year — for what the 2,000 members of B.C.’S $23 billion construction and development industry consider the “Oscars” of their profession.
The 46 Georgie awards cover a range of categories in residential housing, including condominiums, townhouses, highrise buildings, renovations, landscaping, kitchens and interior design. There are also awards for sales and marketing and customer satisfaction. The winners will be announced at the 28th gala on March 14 in Vancouver.
Graeme Huget, founder of My House Design/build Team Ltd., said he was humbled by the number of nominations his firm garnered for renovations in Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver, Port Moody, Surrey, Coquitlam and the Okanagan community of Kaleden. For the sixth straight year, the company is in the running for the prized Grand Georgie award for Renovator of the Year.
Huget said he is pleased his company has fared well again in what is “blind judging ” by industry peers. None of the judges — all of them from outside of B.C. — know which companies have sought nominations for particular projects. He attributes his company’s repeated success to the fact that it takes on both large and small projects and that all work is done by company employees rather than being contracted out.
Naikoon Contracting Ltd. of North Vancouver commanded 11 nominations for five homes under the categories Custom Home Valued between $1.9 million and $3 million, Custom Home Valued over $3 million, Best Multi-family Townhouse Development (infill six units and under), Best Environmental Initiative, and Best Certified Home – Custom. The company also was nominated for a Grand Georgie Award for Custom Home Builder of the Year.
Company president Joe Geluch said he is particularly proud of his West Vancouver project called West Bay Net Zero, the first passive house in West Vancouver that boasts zero-net energy use.
“One of the main intents for this project was to create a home that didn’t look like a typical passive house, but something innovative and unique to reflect the homeowner’s style and lifestyle,” he said.
“The house was constructed using cross-laminated timber. The CLT structure was assembled on site in just five days, allowing us to reduce waste and greenhouse gases. This was only possible thanks to our virtual construction sessions in which we planned the assembly in virtual 3D. The house also has a 12-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system.”
Fifth Avenue Real Estate Marketing of Surrey tallied 10 nominations in multi-family categories for production, infill under six units, and low-rise developments in North Vancouver, Surrey, Pitt Meadows, Kelowna, and Sidney and Sooke on Vancouver Island.
“We celebrate our 40th year in 2020 and we are really excited to have this many nominations,” said company president Scott Brown.
Isle of Mann Property Group of Surrey received six nominations for its projects in Surrey and Langley under Best Multi-family Low Rise Development, Best Project Identity, Best Advertising Campaign and Best Corporate/project Website. The company was nominated for Grand Georgies for Residential Community of the Year and Marketing Campaign of the Year.
The company’s flagship development and major entry is the Luxia at Yorkson-phase 1, a 138unit multi-family development in Langley.
“We are definitely humbled by the number of nominations, but also to be included in the Grand Georgie nominations like Residential Community of the Year,” said Ravi Mann, the company’s director of finance and investment. “It’s a huge honour for us.”
A complete list of finalist nominees can be viewed at georgieawards.ca