HAVAN END OF YEAR RAPP-UP …
As we begin our new fiscal year and look forward to 2024, I wish to extend a warm welcome to our new Board Chair, Henri Belisle of TQ Construction, who,…
UNPRECEDENTED … YET AGAIN …
The fall of 2023 has witnessed an unprecedented surge in announcements and housing-related legislation, surpassing the cumulative measures introduced over the past decade. The sheer scope, scale, and volume of…
Days at the Legislature …
Submitted by Diana Dilworth, Director of Government Relations December 4, 2023 It was a few long days spent in Victoria last week as HAVAN participated in CHBA-BC’s Day at the…
EP55 ZED Studio – Designing Dreams, Building Reality
Zane Erickson from ZED Studio believes every home has a soul, and dreaming of homes on a large luxury scale, Zane’s passion for design helps to navigate building realities. Tune in and learns how Zane navigates dreams and reality.
IT IS BROKEN…AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
The recent string of housing announcements by the Province since the beginning of November represents the most significant changes in how we approach zoning, approvals, as-of-right zoning, infrastructure financing, short-term…
EP54 HAVAN Awards Renovator of the Year
Graeme Huguet, Renovator of the Year from My House Design Build Team, is joined by the Chu family and together they recount their renovation journey through the pandemic. Recognized as the first certified Platinum Built Green Plus Net Zero renovated home in British Columbia, it’s a winner!
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR YOU, … AND YOU, … AND YOU …
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR YOU, … AND YOU, … AND YOU … Over the past few weeks, the Province of BC, with Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, has made four noteworthy announcements addressing…
EP53 HAVAN Awards Interior Designer of the Year
How do two siblings take their grandma’s home gifted to them and transform it into a duplex for two growing families? They connect with Interior Designer of the Year Katerina Vastardis of Designs by KS and Paul Shepski of Geography Contracting for award-winning design building solutions.
EP52 HAVAN Awards Best Reno $1.5 Million and Over
Award-winning duo Madeleine Design Group and Quinton Construction share the secret of their success as they transform a heritage-style home to bring it back to ‘what it wants to be when it grows up.’ A great renovation story, tune in and learn about this amazing transformation.
VAGUELY ENTERTAINING …
This past Wednesday, HAVAN hosted its annual Connect: Municipal Dinner, presented by BC Housing and Patron Sponsor FortisBC at the Paradox Hotel Vancouver with 190 registered members including 24 elected…
THEY CARE … JUST NOT THAT MUCH.
Following on last week’s MMB concerning the pending increase in DCCs being considered, a letter sent by Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser to the Metro Vancouver Regional District Board was…
EP51 HAVAN Awards Best Kitchen Renovation
What’s the recipe for an award-winning kitchen renovation? For best results, according to Dan Klassen of Jedan Brothers Contracting and Laura Grist Interior Design, it starts with an experienced team, a detailed plan, and an accurate budget, and always a splash of humour.
DCCs and Cs, and Cs, and Cs …
The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs, one of Aesop’s Fables, is a story of an impoverished farmer and wife who have the good fortune of coming into possession of…
EP50 HAVAN Awards Best Energy Labelled Home
Architrix Studio and Kingdom Builders take a collaborative approach when helping homeowners design and build their passive home. With lofty goals including in-floor radiant heat and a floating stairway, this is not your average passive house design.
Episode 49: HAVAN Award Winner Best Interior Design Custom Home
Listen in as Karly Kristina Design and Marcraft Homes share the design and cliff-dropping geo-technical building challenges as their clients with waterfront property including ultra-modern home plans look to build their classic Hamptons dream home, without going back to the architect!
ASSOCIATION ELECTS 2023/2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Members of the Homebuilders Association Vancouver (HAVAN) elected Henri Belisle, President and Co-owner, TQ Construction as their 2023/2024 Chair at HAVAN’s Annual Election Meeting online, on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. A HAVAN…
Episode 48: HAVAN Awards Best Environmental Home
Todd Best of Best Builders teams up with Ian McLean Architecture sharing the story of Triadic, an award-winning home recognized for its environmental initiatives, housing solutions, and excellence in energy efficiencies, with two mortgage helper suites, including one stratified suite. It’s a winner!
Episode 47: Custom Homebuilder of the Year
Jim Smith of Smithwood Builders talks about his journey of becoming Custom Homebuilder of the Year while sharing his experiences including two award-winning projects, highlighting the value of bringing the builder on early in the process making ‘the Magic of Three.’
Episode 46: Housing Minister Kahlon Discusses the Housing Supply Act
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon kicks off Season 6 sharing his outlook on the impact of the Housing Supply Act, with Jake Fry of Smallworks and HAVAN CEO Ron Rapp chiming in with a few thoughts from the builder’s and industry perspective.
UBCM 2023 HIGHLIGHTS
With the attendance of the Province’s Premier, Ministers and MLAs, and over 2,000 local government officials debating over 200 resolutions, it was a record Union of BC Municipalities Convention (UBCM)…
A SWEEPING FIRST STEP FOR CoV …
Last Thursday, after a lengthy eight-hour public hearing, the Vancouver Council unanimously passed a motion for lower-density neighbourhoods to allow up to eight homes on a single lot. The new…
Splash Out with a Bathroom Renovation!
Embarking on a bathroom renovation is an exciting endeavor for homeowners seeking to infuse new life into their living spaces. From luxurious spa-like retreats to modern functional designs, three latest…
WILL RATES RALLY? …
This past week the Bank of Canada held its rate at 5% after raising its benchmark rate 10 times since 2022. Creating a sense of relief across the housing industry,…
Ron’s Rant
As summer closes in, Ron has taken a few days to catch up with family in cottage country and scour the streets of Toronto, as seen in this shot below…
Peter’s Post
When Ron Rapp asked me if I would provide a guest Monday Morning Briefing (MMB) column while he is visiting family in Ontario, I jumped at the chance. MMB is…
DON’T PUT THE LOAD ALL ON ME…
We are once again in the grips of a heat wave in Metro Vancouver and while a lower order of magnitude than the “Heat Dome” of 2021, it is still…
UP, UP AND AWAY …
On July 10 of this year, the Township of Langley (TOL) staff presented to council a proposal for increases in DCCs that amount to significant increases in the charges levied…
SEARCHING FOR THE MISSING MIDDLE …
This week, the City of Vancouver will consider staff reports in regard to the program of “gentle densification” and the creation of the opportunity to apply four to six units…
NEW HEIGHTS …
The Bank of Canada (BoC) has raised its benchmark overnight lending rates by another 0.25% to 5%, the highest level since 2001, in a continued battle to bring down inflation…
Eight top tips to consider before renovating a child’s room!
Renovating a child’s room can be both exciting and challenging. You want to create a space that is functional, fun, and reflects their personality. To help you get started, here…
CH-CH-CHA-CHANGES …
The City of Vancouver on May 30 approved a motion to expedite approvals and permits through a triage and prioritization process that will provide the most units in the fastest…
BENEFITS FOR EVERYONE …
Ron is taking a well-deserved few days to get some R&R, and in his absence, I bring you this week’s MMB. ICYMI Last week, HAVAN presented ‘Let’s Talk Mental Health…
MISSING MIDDLE, MISSING THE TARGET …
With the recent announcements from the province identifying ten municipalities to be focused on in terms of increasing housing supply under the umbrella of the Housing Supply Act (HSA), Vancouver…
THE NAUGHTY LIST …
Last Wednesday Housing Minister the Honourable Ravi Kahlon announced the first group of ten municipalities that will be dealt with under the terms of the Housing Supply Act previously enacted…
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MINISTER …
Falling on the Victoria Day long weekend there was no MMB last week, but I would like to take a moment to recap the meetings and events that took place…
Episode 45: Passive House Passion
Passionate about building to Passive House standards, Shaun St-Amour from Clay Construction talks about associated costs, energy savings, consumer choice, and the importance of challenging the status quo as the industry looks to build resilient, healthy homes with a lighter footprint on the environment.
HAVAN GOES TO OTTAWA …
As I was away last week, I wanted to thank Dawn Sondergaard for stepping in to post last week’s MMB and providing an insightful article focusing on mental health issues…
Episode 44: Net Zero Solar Home
Recognizing net zero was within reach of being a reality, Perspective Homes by Pacific adapted the project to help the homeowner realize their goal to build a design-forward, future-proof home with sustainable features using renewable energy.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
May is Mental Health Awareness Month across North America and an issue that impacts our industry sector particularly hard. Of the many issues faced throughout the past few years with…
Outdoor Living Ideas
Designing your dream outdoor living space can be a great way to extend your home and create an inviting space to entertain and relax. Whether you’re looking to add an…
Episode 43: Build Smartr
Harv Sidhu of Build Smartr shares his insights on the benefits of building steel-framed homes, and Build a Box, a plug ‘n play one-room solution for added space.
GENTLE DENSITY …
We need to find ways to enhance flexibility and choices, to encourage innovative and creative solutions, and not to reach into the “old bag” of compounding and conflicting regulations as…
Episode 42: Bryan Baeumler – Value Working With the Pros
Special Guest Bryan Baeumler of Baeumler Approved and HGTV fame, along with Graeme Huguet of My House Design Build Team join Mike and Jennifer-Lee in the studio to talk about the value of working with the professionals.
NIGHT OF NIGHTS …
The 14th annual HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence gala took place on Saturday night, April 22 at the JW Marriot Parq Hotel in Vancouver, with 550 guests in attendance to…
Episode 41: Net Zero Ready Townhomes
Exploring the future of townhomes and the challenges faced by industry building with a smaller footprint, for the benefit of the homeowner and future generations, Jonathan Meads of Streetside Developments shares lessons learned.
REALIZING RESULTS …
The Province, on Monday, April 3, announced the Homes for People initiative that is focused directly on producing housing for the “missing middle” and includes the concept of extending province-wide…
Episode 40: Infill Homes
Naikoon Contracting and One Seed Architecture + Interiors tackle Vancouver’s missing middle housing with a stratified Passivhaus+ duplex project including two lock-off suites, as a smart in-fill solution.
FEDERAL BUDGET GIVETH … TAKES … OR DOES NOTHING
The federal government tabled its 2023 budget last week and in many ways, it was characterized as a relatively light budget seeking to provide some relief for Canadians challenged by…
Episode 39: Small Houses
Jake Fry of Smallworks talks with Jennifer-Lee and Mike about the concept of attainable housing for the missing middle and building thriving modern-day communities, suggesting we keep an open mind to solutions and focus on sophisticated conversations, versus complicated ones.
Episode 38: BOSS Building Solutions
Faced with a housing crisis, rising building costs, labour shortages, and the need to reduce the footprint of how we build our homes, Chris Hill of BCollective talks us through the BOSS system.
HURRY UP AND WAIT …
It was widely reported last week that for the first time in this country’s history, our population grew by over 1 million people, year over year in 2022. International migration…
Episode 37: Iceberg Homes
Faced with limited land and soaring real estate prices, homeowners are digging deeper for solutions. Father and son duo, John and Jeff Gunson, of Euro Canadian Construction, share the process of building iceberg homes in Vancouver.
MORE BILLIONS HERE, AND BILLIONS THERE …
Following up on the last Federal budget on Friday, March 17, Prime Minister Trudeau announced the launch of the $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) directed toward funding local governments…
They Will Come – Now We Have to Build It …
It has been extensively reported that the immigration targets set by the federal government will require effectively doubling housing starts, and it has to start now. The number of newcomers…
Episode 36: High Performance Trends
Shedding light on high-performance building trends, Eric Lee of VictorEric Design+Build shares insight on the latest in AI technology including electrochromic windows, and the importance of a design-solving client-goal approach when building a high-performance home.
A Billion Here, a Billion There …
… pretty soon it starts to add up to real money! On Tuesday last week, Finance Minister Katrine Conroy presented the 2023 BC budget, the first budget under new Premier David…
WINNERS WINNERS …
Last week was Family Day with no MMB, and the week prior I was away in Banff, Alberta, attending CHBA National Home Building Week 2023, from Sunday, February 12, to…
Top Ten Small Kitchen Ideas and Design Tips
Designing a dream kitchen in a small space can be a challenge, but with the right inspiration and design tips, you can create a functional and stylish kitchen that works…
LEVERAGING YOUR MEMBERSHIP
Byline: Dawn Sondergaard, Senior Director, Marketing Communications, first published in the HAVAN Monday Morning Briefing Members-only email, February 13, 2023 Ron is in Banff AB this week at CHBA National…
FINDING ROOM FOR THE MISSING MIDDLE
Byline: Ron Rapp, HAVAN CEO, first published in the HAVAN Monday Morning Briefing Members-only email, February 6, 2023 Connect with Ron on Twitter @havan_ceo Last week, City of Vancouver staff…
Award-winning Basement Renovations and Ideas
Basements are often overlooked when it comes to home renovations, but they have the potential to be some of the most versatile and functional spaces in a house. With a…
RECKLESS OPTIMISM OR REALISTIC?
Guest Byline: Diana Dilworth, HAVAN Director, Government Relations, first published in the HAVAN Monday Morning Briefing Members-only email, January 23, 2023 Connect with Diana on Twitter @DianaDilworth This past week…
STEPPING UP …
Updated January 23, 2023 MMB CORRECTION In last week’s MMB we highlighted changes coming forward with the adoption of Step Code into the BCBC and spoke of mandating Step 3…
A NEW YEAR …
Byline: Ron Rapp, HAVAN CEO, first published in the HAVAN Monday Morning Briefing Members-only email, January 9, 2023 Connect with Ron on Twitter @havan_ceo Happy New Year to all and…
