It’s another record year for the Housing Design Awards. The annual Ottawa housing industry fête has seen more entries, by more companies, than ever before, surpassing records set last year.
It’s an indication of the sheer volume and interest in Ottawa’s design, renovation and home building scene.
Organized by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA), the awards recognize excellence among member companies, who represent the vast majority of the city’s industry. This year there were 75 companies with 282 entries, 188 of which made it through as finalists. That compares to last year, when there were 278 entries from 68 companies.
That means there are a lot of kitchens, bathrooms, custom homes, renovated spaces and much more to offer you plenty of inspiration for your own home, as well as give you a good sense of what’s happening in Ottawa design and construction.
Have your say
You can get in on the act by helping to choose one of the most coveted awards of the whole program – called the Ottawa Citizen People’s Choice Award. Other award winners are determined in blind judging by an independent panel of industry experts from across the country, and local companies value that peer recognition.
But what they value just as much is when the public speaks and votes for its favourite project. For the winner, it’s an indication of what homeowners want and value in a design.
In the past, all of the finalists have been eligible for the People’s Choice Award, with members of the public being able to vote either online or in person at the Ottawa Fall Home Show in September, where all of the projects are displayed each year. That’s still the case, but this year there’s a twist.
From now until the home show, GOHBA will hold preliminary rounds of voting to determine 14 projects that will compete in a final round of voting for the award. In each of these rounds, you can choose your favourite from among the selected categories:
Renovations + design: Wed., Aug. 23 – Sun., Aug. 27
Bathrooms: Wed., Aug. 30 – Sun., Sept. 3
Kitchens: Wed., Sept. 6 – Sun., Sept. 10
Custom homes: Wed., Sept. 13 – Sun., Sept. 17
Production homes + condos: Wed., Sept. 20 – Sun., Sept. 24
Final round: Wed., Sept. 27 – Sun., Oct. 1
Get in on the act and choose your favourite by voting here each week.
Winners in all 57 categories will be announced at a gala at the Shaw Centre on Oct. 21.
