For 23 years now, the SAM Awards have celebrated innovation and excellence in the Calgary and area residential construction industry.

This year, the winners will receive their awards at the 24th annual SAM Awards Gala on Saturday, April 16, 2011 at the Telus Convention Centre. In advance of the awards the Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Calgary Region has announced the finalists in a number of different categories. 

“CHBA - Calgary Region received 544 outstanding entries this year,” says Carol Oxtoby of Heritage Pointe Properties, Co-Chair of the SAM Awards Committee. “These all represented some of the finest and most innovative works undertaken in our industry over the competition period.” 

Her counterpart, Shane Wenzel, he of Shane Homes fame, continues, “When you consider that during challenging economic times companies made every effort to stand out from each other, you get a sense of the high calibre of entries that are competing.” 

What does this mean to the consumer? From suppliers of products to service providers, the trades, builders and developers; each feels the pressure to produce or provide innovative new products, concepts and services to compete with each other and capture the attention of the industry, media and consumers. This is how the SAM Awards feed the industry’s highly competitive and innovative spirit. New homes, new communities and virtually every component of each have evolved substantially over the years.

You can safely assume that popular features found in new homes today were once unique new features included in a SAM Award entry. 

CHBA - Calgary presents SAM Awards in the following categories (the number of awards in each category follows in brackets): Advertising & Marketing Awards (8), Developer Awards (2), Industry Achievement Awards (1), Multi-Family Awards (9), New Home Awards (15), Partner Awards (6), Renovator Awards (6), Sales Achievement Awards (3), Sales & Information Centre Awards (2), and the GRAND SAM Awards (5). GRAND SAM Awards are presented to the Builder of the Year, Multi-family Builder of the Year, Builder of Merit, Renovator of the Year and Partner of the Year. 

Following is a list of finalists in the multi-family categories.

SAM AWARD FINALISTS:

Sales Achievement Awards:

Project Sales Team of the Year

• Beattie Homes: Greg Kennedy – King’s Heights (Airdrie)

• Cardel Lifestyles: Brad Logel, Darryl Solly, Ken Harvey – Lighthouse Landing

• Cardel Lifestyles: Brad Logel, Darryl Solly, Ken Harvey – Panorama West

• Cardel Lifestyles: Judy-Lynn Lavelle, Reilly Lepage, Jamie Wright
   – Prestwick Place

• Hawthorne Homes: Neil McKendrick, Jeanette Hunt – Aspen Hills

• Hawthorne Homes: Karen MacPhee, Teri Farnsworth – Auburn Bay

• Hawthorne Homes: John O’Connor, Kim Taylor – Cranston

• Hawthorne Homes: Lori Noble-Milne, Christopher Mackinnon – New Brighton

• Homes by Avi: Todd Broadbent, Ashley Zaro – Prospect Hill

• Sabal Homes: Brenda Kelly, Sydney Forman – Copperfield Phase 25

Multi-family Community Awards:

Best Multi-family Community

• Hawthorne Homes - Mosaic Cranston

Multi-family Design Awards:

Best New Design – up to 799 sq. ft.

• Hawthorne Homes - The Ivory, 218 Cranfrod Court SE

Best New Design – 800 to 1,199 sq. ft.

• Hawthorne Homes - The Ruby, 216 Cranford Court SE

Best New Design – 1,200 to 1,499 sq. ft.

• Aspire Condo Living by Jayman: Chesapeake in Auburn Bay,
  1202 – 10 Auburn Bay Ave. SE

• Sabal Homes - Chalet A, 11 Copperpond Close SE

• Sabal Homes - Chalet B, 19 Copperpond Close SE

• Sabal Homes - Chalet C, 15 Copperpond Close SE

• Sabal Homes - Chalet D, 19 Copperpond Road SE

Best New Design – 1,500 sq. ft. and over

• Aspire Condo Living by Jayman: Chesapeake in Auburn Bay,
  1201 – 10 Auburn Bay Ave. SE

Multi-family Home Awards:

Best Townhome – up to $274,999

• Homes by Avi: The Samson, 164 Walden Gate SE

• Homes by Avi: The Topaz, 2314 – 125 Panatella Way NW

• Sabal Homes: Chalet Townhome A, 1915 Copperfield Blvd. SE

Best Townhome – $275,000 and over

• Homes by Avi: The Ruby, 2316 – 125 Panatella Way NW

• Homes by Avi: The Sapphire, 2318 – 125 Panatella Way NW

Best Villa/Duplex – up to $324,999

• Heartland Homes: The Cypress, 577 McKenzie Towne Drive SE

• Shane Homes: The Aura, 208 Panatella Drive NW

• Shane Homes: The Elation, 212 Panatella Drive NW

• Shane Homes: The Karma, 216 Panatella Drive NW

• Shane Homes: The Tranquility, 204 Panatella Drive NW

Best Villa/Duplex – $325,000 and over

• Heartland Homes: The Linden, 575 McKenzie Towne Drive SE