The finalists have been named in the 2020 Housing Design Awards and now it’s time for you to have your say.
The Housing Design Awards are presented each fall by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) and are eagerly awaited by many in the industry. Last week, the association announced 174 finalists in 45 categories from 253 entries overall.
Winners for most of those categories are determined through blind judging by industry professionals across the country, but one award is chosen by the public — the Ottawa Citizen’s People’s Choice Award — and voting for that winner begins today.
The People’s Choice Award is coveted by many entrants because it’s the one award that represents what the public likes in Ottawa design projects.
“It’s a real validation from the community,” says designer and renovator/builder Gord Weima, who is a multiple People’s Choice recipient, last winning in 2017. “It’s a really personal thing that connects with the ordinary person.”
Over the next six weeks in a series of rounds, you’ll be able to vote for your favourite new home, renovation, kitchen, bathroom, housing detail and more. The top choices from each of the five preliminary rounds will then compete in a final round of voting to determine the winner.
Winners of all categories in the Housing Design Awards will be announced at a virtual showcase on Nov. 20.
How to vote
Voting is done online at gohbavote.ca with six days set aside for each round, from 9 a.m. Tuesdays to 11:59 p.m. Sundays. You’re encouraged to vote in each round.
Here is the voting schedule for the People’s Choice Award:
Round 1: Sept. 29 to Oct. 4, renovations
Round 2: Oct. 6 to 11, bathrooms
Round 3: Oct. 13 to 18, kitchens
Round 4: Oct. 20 to 25, custom homes & design details
Round 5: Oct. 27 to Nov. 1, production homes & condos, plus green innovations
Round 6: Nov. 3 to 8, finalists
