Patten Homes is an Ottawa home builder who’s been around for more than two decades and has a stellar pedigree, although you may have never heard of them. Why? Because, until recently, they kept a low profile.
But that is changing.
Patten is part of the Cavanagh Group of Companies, more commonly known as Thomas Cavanagh Construction — and that is a company you’ve surely heard about. Cavanagh began way back in the 1950s with a dump truck and a gravel pit, gradually establishing itself as a foundational company (pun intended) in the development of the Ottawa area.
Now, 70 years later, it has grown into a giant with multiple divisions and the ability to handle all aspects of land development, from acquisition and subdivision planning to servicing for infrastructure, foundations and footings, paving, grading and — through Patten Homes — building.
Initially, Patten was created to fill gaps in the 50-plus developments that Cavanagh has overseen, explains Taylor Cavanagh, who is part of the third generation of the Cavanagh family to be involved with the company.
“Originally, we were building on the infill lots not purchased by other builders, because we were in the lot selling business primarily. It was a way to make sure that a subdivision was complete and the lots that were not sold were built on.”
Which is why Patten was not well known to the general public.
But for some time, Patten owner Jeff Cavanagh has had a vision of developing those subdivisions from start to finish, Taylor Cavanagh says of her boss, who is also her father. Since the company was already doing most of the work to develop the land, building the homes themselves “just seemed like the last piece of the puzzle. We can take a raw piece of land and develop it into a vibrant community.”
Ramping up
Shortly before the pandemic, the company began the transition from a small, mostly custom home builder to a medium-sized builder of full communities and has since introduced three west-end developments under the Patten Homes banner with a fourth expected to launch later this year:
- Shea Village: Two-storey singles, bungalows, towns and elevated towns between Fernbank Road and Abbott Street in Stittsville
- Mississippi Shores: Two-storey singles, bungalows, towns and semis in Carleton Place
- Huntley Chase: Estate lots off Carp Road between Stittsville and Carp
- Coleman Central: Expected to launch in June, Coleman Central will offer two-storey singles, bungalows and towns in Carleton Place in a complement to Mississippi Shores
Despite ramping up its scale of work, Patten remains committed to its boutique approach, attention to detail and what the company calls the Patten promise, says Shawn Turcotte, who is the vice-president of Cavanagh Communities, the umbrella group to which Patten belongs.
“The Patten promise provides a different level of experience for homeowners than what is available on the market,” he says. “Others may offer something similar but, with Patten Homes, the big thing specifically is our specifications and quality.”
Patten’s general manager, Alyssa Stack, agrees. “We’re growing into that greater role while still maintaining our Patten standard, with quality of build and customer experience.”
She also points out Patten’s transparency, which means buyers are aware from the get-go of all pricing (including upgrades) and all options for included features and finishes so that buyers are fully armed before they need to decide. “We try to be up front and transparent with everything in terms of what they’re actually buying.”
Patten also prides itself on having exceptional features and finishes that are included with the home so that buyers can have “an absolutely beautiful home without having to upgrade anything.”
Adds Turcotte: “We feel confident that when purchasers come to Patten Homes, we can demonstrate to them our experience and that our homes exceed everything else on the market.”
As important as each individual home is to the company, so too is the importance of building vibrant communities, whether that’s its internal community of 1,000-plus employees, or the subdivisions Cavanagh builds, or the wider community of Ottawa and the region.
“It goes so much further than actually constructing and building and developing these communities,” Taylor Cavanagh says. “It’s wanting to ensure there’s a vibrant community within the company for our team members. It’s wanting to make sure that the communities we live and work in are also thriving. And that means giving back in many ways.”
She says her grandfather, company founder Thomas Cavanagh, really believed in contributing locally, from small things like sponsoring a sports team or supporting the food bank to large donations to area hospitals.
It all goes back to the foundation of community building.
“We’re passionate about our homes,” she says. “We want to deliver not just a quality home to our buyers, but something that really provides them with value.”
To learn more about Patten Homes and its communities, visit PattenHomes.com.
