40 Projects Competed For Top Honours at 12th Annual Event at Coast Capri Hotel Thursday Night
It was a big night for Meiklejohn at the Thompson Okanagan Commercial Building Awards September 28 in Kelowna, as the firm was named Architect of the Year and they designed the Judges’ Choice Best Overall entry, KF Centre For Excellence in Kelowna, which also won the Award of Excellence in the Tourism & Hospitality category. From left: Sandon Honeyman, Senior Architectural Technologist at MAD Studio; Collin Crabbe, Partner at Meiklejohn Architects Inc.; Jim Meiklejohn, Senior Partner at Meiklejohn Architects Inc.; Cal Meiklejohn, Senior Partner at MAD Studio; Tom Cerajeski, Partner at MAD Studio and Ryan Arnold, Intern Architect at MAD Studio
KELOWNA – KF Centre For Excellence was the Judges’ Choice Best Overall entry winner at the 2023 Thompson Okanagan Commercial Building Awards Thursday night at the Coast Capri Hotel.
40 projects competed for top honours at the 12th Annual event which honored the best of the best in commercial, industrial and revenue producing properties from Kamloops to Osoyoos that were completed between January 1 and December 31, 2022.
Architect of the Year at the 2023 Thompson Okanagan Commercial Building Awards went to Meiklejohn Architectural Design Studio Inc. Receiving the award from Carla Sulina of Green Sheet Construction Data is Cal Meiklejohn
Sawchuk Developments Ltd. was the General Contractor for the KF Centre For Excellence at 5800 Lapointe Drive near Kelowna Airport and Meiklejohn Architects Inc. was the architect/designer. The Centre was also named the Award of Excellence winner in the Tourism & Hospitality category, and Meiklejohn Architects of Penticton was also named the Architect of the Year at the awards.
The building design develops two key ideas that form the vision founder Barry LaPointe has for the centre. These were to: “use wood wherever possible” and to “make it very clear that this feels like a plane.” The design does just that, as it is organized around a symmetrical “hangar and hub” concept that places public exhibition space between (and overlooking) two large hangars that house heritage aircraft as well as “real” aircraft.
Construction Company of the Year was Stretch Construction of Kelowna and the Company Safety Award went to Traine Construction & Development of Kamloops.
Gold Sponsors for the Awards, organized by the Business Examiner News Group, were Pushor Mitchell LLP, Freedom Capital and BDO LLP.
Category Sponsors were: Hero Security, Financial Dream Solutions, RE/MAX Commercial, TOMTAR Roofing & TRS Building Envelope, Financial Dream Solutions, United Rentals, OK College, Green Sheet Construction Data, SAHURI + Associates, NOvation Architecture, Amante Real Estate, Bargoon Cabinets, and The BC Notaries Association.
Brad Karp, the Morning Show Host for K96.3 Kelowna’s Classic Rock & K97.5 Kamloops Classic Rock, was the Master of Ceremonies.
Other Category winners were:
Right, Caitlin Bennett, of Sponsor Bargoon Cabinets, Left, Bruno Carneiro, manager, Construction of Faction Projects Inc.
Affordable Housing: The Village At Okanagan Landing of Vernon. Owner/Developer is the Okanagan Village Housing Society, Architect/Designer is Faction Architecture Inc., and General Contractor is Faction Construction.
The Okanagan Village Housing Society’s “mandate is to increase the supply of affordable housing for the ‘forgotten population’ which includes individuals and families with low to moderate income.” The affordable housing project is a 2-storey, 13-unit, stacked row house building consisting of a varied mix of unit types.
Community Institutional: Coldstream Community Centre and Child Care Facility of Coldstream. Owner Developer is the District of Coldstream, Architect/Designer is SAHURI + Associates
Architecture Inc., and General Contractor is Sawchuk Developments Co. Ltd.
This facility features an event venue for up to 200 people and meeting room for public rentals and also houses a childcare facility for up to 84 kids, which is operated by Maven Lane. The new community hall will replace the existing Women’s Institute Hall and the new child care spaces will be constructed on the adjacent vacant land.
From left: Carlo DiStefano and Neil Jaud of DiStefano Jaud Architecture, receiving the award from Category Sponsor Kirk McLaughlin of MCL Real Estate Group
Industrial: Ace Plumbing and Harmony Homes of Kelowna. Owner/Developer and General Contractor is Ace Plumbing and Harmony Homes, and the Architect/Designer is DiStefano Jaud Architecture.
Developed as the new headquarters of two long term Kelowna companies, Ace Plumbing and Harmony Homes, this new two storey tilt-up concrete and steel structure building is situated out at the Airport Business Park by the International Airport in Kelowna, nestled amongst the other industrial buildings that continue to appear in this area.
Left, Carolyn Santiago, Interior Designer and Project Manager of Apollo 1, Wilson Santiago and Josh HIggins representing sponor TRS.
Mixed Use: Apollo 1 of West Kelowna. Owner/Developer is Shining Tapers, Architect/Designer is Fox Architecture Inc., and General Contractor is Kevin Ferreira.
This building provides urban Infill in West Kelowna’s downtown core, providing density and much-needed rental housing at a small-town scale. Two commercial spaces and the formal residential entrance activate the terrace at streetscape. Upper residential units all have views of the water with wrap-around decks, and come with parking, bike lockers and shower, storage, and en-suite laundry.
From left, Adrian Falk and Myah Lawrence, receive the award from Francesca Amante of Amante Real Estate
Multi-Family Condominium: Fairway 10 of Kamloops. Owner/Developer is Total Concept
Developments Ltd., Architect/Designer is Blue Green Architecture, and General Contractor is Tri City Canada.
This features 42 modern apartments located at the Dunes Golf Course, with Studio, 1 and 2 bedroom units, a choice of two modern colour schemes, an appliance package, window coverings, and underground parking. Penthouse units feature private decks with a pergola and great views. It is located in the quiet community of Westsyde, enjoy an early spring and late winter.
Multi-Family Town Home: Ledge On Lakeshore of Kelowna. Architect/Designer is HDR and General Contractor is Stretch Construction Ltd.
Left to right, Trevor Melnyk and Geoff Stretch, both from Stretch Construction , Pat Moran from sponsor United Rentals
Office: Oliver Dental Centre of Oliver. Owner/Developer is Noftle Holdings Ltd., Architect/Designer is GTA Architecture and General Contractor is Chriscan Construction Ltd.
Oliver Dental is a dental clinic in the downtown core that was expanded from 1,600 to a total of almost 3,300 square feet. This included a full renovation of the existing interior and exterior. Also creating more local employment opportunities to aid in the growth of the local economy, while elevating the look of Oliver’s Main Street and hopefully encourage growth.
Purpose Built Rental: The View – Hillside of Kamloops. Owner/Developer and General Contractor is Traine Construction & Development Ltd., and Architect/Designer is Zeidler Architecture.
From left: Sierra Bharmal of Category Sponsor Financial Dream Solutions, Lee Findlay of Chriscan Construction, Carlos Ponce of GTA Architecture and Shaun Fell of Chriscan Construction
The View is in a neighbourhood mostly of empty nesters, however, it is also within easy biking distance of Thompson Rivers University. The owners wanted a product that would appeal to both mature and student renters, even though they were quite different. To do this, the building features 50% of suites oriented to take advantage of panoramic river views.
Retail: Kelowna Toyota of Kelowna. Owner/Developer is Canada One Auto Group, Architect/Designer is Hodgson Shilf Evans Architecture, and General Contractor is Fillmore Construction Management Inc.
Kelowna Toyota is a ground up Toyota Dealership project that was built on a tight time line. From first shovel in the ground to open for business selling cars this project took 13 months. The vision of this project was to create a highly attractive and effective automotive dealership with special attention to the showroom as well as the service bays.”
Awards of Merit (runners-up) went to:
From left: Mahik Toora, Lady of the Lake – Miss Kelowna and Harjit Toora of category sponsor Hero Security, and Kevin Day, then Mark Fuhrmann of Fillmore Construction
Affordable Housing: Powley Court of West Kelowna. Owner/Developer is Habitat for Humanity Okanagan and Architect/Designer and General Contractor is Harmony Homes.
Community Institutional: Lake Country Fire Hall of Lake Country – Architect/Designer is SAHURI + Associates Architecture Inc. and General Contractor is Bird Construction Company.
Thompson Rivers University Early Childhood Education Centre of Kamloops – Owner/Developer is Thompson Rivers University, Architect/Designer is Stantec Architecture Ltd., and General Contractor is ANR Construction Ltd.
Industrial: Adams Road Industrial of Kelowna. Owner/Developer is FDH Developments, Archiltect/Designer is NOvation Architecture Ltd., and General Contractor is Chriscan Construction Ltd.
Multi-Family Condominium: Vita Vernon. Owner/Developer is K-West Equities Corp., Architect/Designer is Meiklejohn Architects Inc., and General Conractor is Innascore Developments Inc.
Office: Westridge of Spallumcheen. Owner/Developer is Westridge Rock, Architect/Designer
Place Architect & Jade Bay Design, and General Contractor Jade Bay Constructors.
Purpose Built Rental: Evangel Family Manor of Kelowna. General Contractor is Evangel Housing Societies, Architect/Designer is NOvation Architecture Ltd., and General Contractor is Edgecombe Builders.
The official souvenir program for the awards, which includes profiles and photos of all the finalists, can be viewed at: https://www.calameo.com/businessexaminer/read/006885517dd54d9a6b703