HAVAN announces finalists for its annual Awards for Housing Excellence

Featuring new categories like Best Multiplex Unit and Best Multiplex Development

Shawn Conner

Published Mar 14, 2024  •  Last updated 1 day ago  •  3 minute read

 

Just as builders are struggling to keep up with provincial initiatives, the Homebuilders Association Vancouver is recognizing the move to greater density with new categories like Best Multiplex Unit and Best Multiplex Development.

“We’re at a watershed moment, where the province has introduced all kinds of different policy initiatives with respect to housing,” said Ron Rapp, CEO of HAVAN.

“At the same time, we’re under a lot of pressure to produce more housing. Municipalities are kind of caught on the in-betweens where they’re looking at new policies but have an absence of actual regulation. By the same token, our builders are responding to what the market is asking for, and that is trying to find more affordable options that address housing needs and to do so in a manner that is efficient and carries a significant degree of energy performance at a higher level of the Step Code while lowering carbon footprints.”

HAVAN announced the nominees for its annual Awards for Housing Excellence, presented by FortisBC, on March 13 at The Gallery at Also The Kent. In all, 154 builders, renovators, and designers are competing in 60 categories, which is up from last year’s 101 builders in 54 categories. The categories are divided into sub-sections, including Renovation, Best New-Home Production, Best New-Home Custom and Custom-Spec, Design/Build and Special Achievement, as well as the Grand HAVANs. HAVAN will announce the winners on May 4 at the JW Marriott Parq Hotel.

Miracon Development?s project Mirada Estates, Lot 57 and 70, is a HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence finalist for Best Single-Family Detached Home (Production): 2,900 s.f. and Over, Best Single-Family Detached Home Development (Production): 5 Units or More, Best New Kitchen: Single-Family Production Home, 57 and 70, Best Primary Suite: Single-Family or Multi-Family Production Home, 57 and 70, Best Interior Design Display Home: Single-Family Production Home, 57 and 70, Best Marketing Campaign, FortisBC Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency In New Residential Construction, plus they are a finalist for Grand HAVAN Single Family Home Builder of the Year.

Miracon Development’s project Mirada Estates, Lot 57 and 70, is a HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence finalist for Best Single-Family Detached Home (Production): 2,900 s.f. and Over, Best Single-Family Detached Home Development (Production): 5 Units or More, Best New Kitchen: Single-Family Production Home, 57 and 70, Best Primary Suite: Single-Family or Multi-Family Production Home, 57 and 70, Best Interior Design Display Home: Single-Family Production Home, 57 and 70, Best Marketing Campaign, FortisBC Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency In New Residential Construction, plus they are a finalist for Grand HAVAN Single Family Home Builder of the Year. PHOTO BY KRISTEN MCGAUGHEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Naikoon Contracting's project Bird's Wing Passive House is a HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence finalist in three categories: Best Multiplex UnitBest Energy Labelled Home: Custom, Best Environmental Initiative; plus Naikoon received six other finalist entries for four additional projects, and is a finalist for GRAND HAVAN Custom Home Builder of the Year.

Naikoon Contracting’s project Bird’s Wing Passive House is a HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence finalist for Best Multiplex Unit, Best Energy Labelled Home: Custom, Best Environmental Initiative; plus Naikoon received six other finalist entries for four additional projects, and is a finalist for GRAND HAVAN Custom Home Builder of the Year. PHOTO BY JANIS NICOLAY PHOTOGRAPHY.

Alair Homes, Hael Construction Inc., and Tera Development are nominated for Best Multiplex Development. Hael is also in the running for the High-Performance Home: New or Renovated award and for a Grand HAVAN for Custom Home Builder of the Year. Its nominated project, Stargaze, features energy-efficient cooling, an air purifying system, an energy-saving centralized utility control centre, and exterior ACM (aluminum composite material) panels.

“Over the last year or two, we have started to recognize high-performance categories, where housing is built to a higher level of energy performance and environmental sensitivity,” Rapp said. “At the same time, we’ve started looking at categories that feature multiplex development and multi-unit and small-scale homes—basically, keeping pace and trying to respond to some of the provisional initiatives that have been introduced in the last year to 18 months.”

Other 2024 nominees include Miracon Development Inc. Last year, the Surrey company received eight nominations and won two Grand HAVANs, including Best Residential Community: Multi-Family and Multi-Family Home Builder of the Year. This year Miracon shows up in 11 categories for its Mirada Estates project, a collection of single-family homes in Langley West, as well as in the Grand HAVAN category for Single-Family Home Builder of the Year.

Kalu Interiors, with LAT49 Builders Inc. project Distinctive Dreamer, is a HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence finalist finalist in four categories: Best New Custom Kitchen: Under $175,000, Best Primary Suite: Renovated or Custom Home, Best New Bathroom, Best Special Feature: New or Renovated, plus, Kalu Interiors is up for Grand HAVAN Designer of the Year Award.

Kalu Interiors, with LAT49 Builders Inc., project Distinctive Dreamer, is a HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence finalist in four categories: Best New Custom Kitchen: Under $175,000, Best Primary Suite: Renovated or Custom Home, Best New Bathroom, Best Special Feature: New or Renovated, plus, Kalu Interiors is up for Grand HAVAN Designer of the Year Award. PHOTO BY PROVOKE STUDIOS

Lower Coast Building Group has three HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence finalist nominations, as well as one for Grand HAVAN-Residential Renovator of the Year.

Lower Coast Building Group has three HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence finalist nominations, as well as one for Grand HAVAN-Residential Renovator of the Year. PHOTO BY MARTIN KNOWLES PHOTO/MEDIA

TQ Construction's project East Van Elevated is a HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence finalist for Best Character Home Renovation. TQ's other project, Inlet Innovation, is a finalist for Best Non-Certified High-Performance Home: New or Renovated, FortisBC Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency In New Residential Construction. Plus, Grand HAVAN Residential Renovator of the Year and Grand HAVAN Custom Home Builder of the Year.

TQ Construction’s project East Van Elevated is a HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence finalist for Best Character Home Renovation. TQ’s other project, Inlet Innovation, is a finalist for Best Non-Certified High-Performance Home: New or Renovated, FortisBC Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency In New Residential Construction. Plus, Grand HAVAN Residential Renovator of the Year and Grand HAVAN Custom Home Builder of the Year. PHOTO BY 360HOMETOURS.CA INC

Leading in the Renovation categories with three nominations, as well as one for Grand HAVAN-Residential Renovator of the Year, is Lower Coast Building Group. Kalu Interiors has three nominations in the Design/Build categories as well as a Grand HAVAN nom for Interior Designer of the Year.

While the industry navigates changing legislation, it’s also seeking to fill gaps in the workforce.

“Most members are struggling to find people,” Rapp said. “They have the work even though things have slowed down to some degree. Everybody’s looking to bolster their forces to increase the throughput, which is what we have to do if we’re being charged with doubling the amount of housing supply as soon as possible.”

Supply-chain issues that arose during COVID have declined somewhat.

“It varies,” Rapp said. “We might see a shortage of drainpipes one quarter versus engineered wood the next. We’ve seen some mitigation of construction costs in certain areas, but at the same time, it’s offset by increases in others. If we look at things that are that are posing the biggest challenges to the building community right now, it’s the cost of money in general, the availability of labor resources, vacancy in material supply, and inflationary pressures. We’re still seeing significant increases in certain areas that seem to be ongoing.”