HAVAN Award Winners Announced

An exclusive industry event, special guests at the 2022 Havan Awards included Honourable David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing.

The Step Code’s influence on home building projects is clear. It is raising the bar for higher performance homes with advanced techniques and technologies, resulting in improved energy efficiencies, consistent comfort, and better indoor air quality for the homeowner.

“It is exciting to see the broad variety of archetypes winning awards,” says HAVAN CEO, Ron Rapp. “From innovative laneway homes to character renovations, luxurious ultra modern houses, and the full spectrum of multi-family developments in between, the HAVAN Awards showcase our members’ best in housing.”

Celebrating the 13th annual awards season, 33 builders and designers were awarded 61 prestigious HAVAN Awards

Rapp says the awards are about more than honouring the incredible work of Vancouver’s best design and build professionals—they are also a great means through which homeowners can be inspired, get renovation ideas, and connect with award-winning professional designers, builders, and contractors.

“Finalists and winners are chosen by a peer-reviewed panel of award-winning builders, renovators, and designers drawn from across the country through a rigorous judging process,” he says.

Judges are selected from outside the Lower Mainland area to assure objectivity, and project entries do not disclose any corporate branding.

Each award is based on a specific set of criteria noting the scope of the build or renovation needs to match the category criteria, such as meeting the client’s needs, vision, and expectations.

“Creativity, innovative design, and efficient use of space, including changes to layout are also considered,” Rapp says. “Additional key points include compatibility of existing and/or new structure and materials, quality workmanship and finishing details, and construction details, materials, and techniques that reflect industry best practices.”

The judges also consider techniques for achieving higher thresholds of energy efficiency and lower carbon footprint, as well as improved comfort, liveability, indoor air quality, and health.

In fact, high-performance (HP) building was a key theme driving year’s event. HAVAN finalists exhibited a number of features in their projects that demonstrate the importance of considering high-performance in every new build and renovation.

“It is important to consider high-performance benefits to realize energy savings, improved livability—including year-round comfort, no more drafty homes, improved air indoor quality and better sleep—and resilience,” Rapp says. “Wall assemblies, windows, doors, and cladding are all superior in a HP build, along with the air and vapour transfer and insulation specifications. HP homes provide value now and into the future while making a positive contribution to climate action.”

“The HAVAN Awards showcase the creativity, innovation, and best works of our member designers, builders, renovators, trades, and suppliers,” Rapp says. “They highlight the positive legacy of their products and work for their clients, their team, their business, the community, and the residential construction industry. Congratulations to the 2022 winners!”

Read on to discover HAVAN Award winners in the Renovation categories. Visit havan.ca for a complete list of winners in all 61 categories.

WINNER: Best Renovation: Over $1 Million; Best Energy Labelled
Home: Whole Home Renovation
Project: SQUAMISH DEEP ENERGY RETROFIT
Builder: Coast Essential Construction

Updating this 1980s home to a Net-Zero PassiveHaus standard was top-of-mind for the homeowner’s when deciding to renovate to maximize the mountain/ocean views by combining disconnected small rooms into a great room, entertainment-friendly home.

The size of the rear entertainment deck, now doubled, features a two-sided infinity-edge pool plus hot tub. The 12-foot sliding doors provide seamless flow with dining/family room to the great outdoors. Existing rough beams wrapped in white-washed, vertical-grain fir match doors and allow full-height corner windows for unobstructed views. A white interior palette creates a gallery ambience allowing the client to showcase an extensive art collection.

This project is BuiltGreen Platinum and Mercier green certified. This is the first renovation project completed under Vancouver’s stringent ZEBx (Zero-Emissions Building Plan for new construction), and it is a case study for future renovations under this program.

WINNER: Best Renovation: $200,000 – $399,999
Project: LIVING SQUARED
Builder: A.W. Kennedy Construction Inc.

Architectural beauty emerges in this seamless addition renovation focused on creating overall synergy of the home’s interior and exterior finishings, while creating a new master suite and office space. After completely removing the old, dilapidated, asbestos-ridden addition, the original form was reimagined in structural steel, allowing more space above and below with modifications to the layout. The redesign moved the master bedroom occupying the main space, allowing a walk-in closet, ensuite, and ancillary office, and created a ground level office below next to the mixed-space use area below the seemingly floating mass. Identical flooring was matched from the original house and continued through into the new space. Original window manufacture from a previous renovation was located and used. Modern rainscreen, integrated with the old cedar cladding, was matched and the entire house repainted, making the new addition indistinguishable from the original home.

WINNER: Best Kitchen and Great Room Renovation; Best Interior Design Renovated Residence
Project: STILL LIFE
Builder: Best Builders Ltd. – GRAND HAVAN Renovator of the Year
Designer: Sarah Gallop Design Inc – GRAND HAVAN Designer of the Year

Wrapped in windows, this home’s newly renovated, stunning, open concept space is flooded in natural light. The centrally located, luxury, linear kitchen is designed as clean sophisticated space for functional easy family cooking and perfectly planned for entertaining. The homeowners’ keen artistic eye made cohesive aesthetic appeal a high priority. Glass, concrete, and warm wooden beams create a contemporary west coast ambiance, with white flat-panel cabinetry off-set by walnut detailing and black powder-coated hardware for added sophistication. Light concrete floors unite the surrounding spaces, keeping the contemporary, casual vibe.

 

WINNER: Best Renovation: $400,000 – $699,999; Best Kitchen Renovation: $75,000 – $150,000; Best Townhouse/Condominium Renovation: $250,000 and Over
Project: HIGH ABOVE
Builder: Vertical Grain Projects

Transforming this 2,000-squarefoot penthouse into a stunning state-of-the-art home ensures year round entertaining with ease. The designer kitchen features a one-piece, precast-concrete island with integrated double-sink, wine-fridge, microwave, and recycle centre that was craned to 18th floor and rolled into place, requiring the balcony to be temporarily removed. A dysfunctional secondary bedroom door beside the stove was closed off, creating an eight-foot counter extension now connecting to the pantry wall. As a bonus, the design enhances traffic flow and creates additional storage and counter space. The enclosed, concrete staircase to the rooftop deck feels airy and light with new glass railings. Upstairs, the small alcove is reinvented as a “secret” sports den/wine bar with a sophisticated black-on-black palette. An adjacent three-piece bathroom features a herringbone backsplash, concrete vessel-sink, and backlit custom mirror. The rooftop deck is ready to rock’n’roll in every season with a fully-equipped barbecue kitchen, al fresco dining table, low-maintenance Astro turf lawn, and jaw-dropping ocean and cityscape views. The highlight is a much-loved, outdoor theatre lounge with a gas firepit, sectional seating, and all-weather umbrella. When not in use, the 105-inch TV screen suspended on structural steel frame retracts invisibly into the concrete surround.

Learn more | HAVAN Awards

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