Hidden spaces, an indoor basketball court, an abundance of wood and making indoor-outdoor connections: There was a cornucopia of envy-inducing entries in the 2025 Housing Design Awards.
At a glitzy gala Nov. 1, 57 of those entries were awarded trophies in categories ranging from kitchens and bathrooms to new homes, renovations, design details and more.
Organized by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, the annual awards gala, now in its 42nd year, is one of the largest events of its kind in the city. A record 860 guests gathered in Canada Hall at the Rogers Centre, which was decked out in a theme inspired by the novel The Secret Garden, featuring 14-foot twinkling trees and a 24-foot walkway decorated in garden-style greenery with a birch pole canopy.
“Our theme (was) Blueprints and Blooms: A Garden Affair,” said Linda Oliveri Blanchard, who chairs the awards committee, adding that it drew on “dark midnight blues and greens (with) canopies and trees to make it an enchanted evening.”
Innovation & special achievement
Just over 340 entries were judged by 18 industry experts from across the country, who each had certain categories to evaluate in blind judging.
“We hit a major milestone this year when we crested over 100 participating companies,” said Oliveri Blanchard. “We had hit an all-time record last year of 77 companies who participated, but this year it spiked even further to 104 companies. This just shows the value of our awards program for the residential construction industry in Ottawa.”
In reviewing the entries, Chris Hewett, an architecture professor at Algonquin College and the only local judge, noted that “homeowners looking for a renovation or new-home buyers have such a wealth of quality options available to them in Ottawa.”
Oliveri Blanchard echoed that. “The Ottawa Housing Design Awards program is our way to highlight our local residential construction businesses, who continue to set the bar higher and higher every year, creating some of the most beautiful spaces, homes and communities that can be found across Canada.”
The big winners
Topping the list of winners this year was Flynn Architect, which took home eight trophies, ranging from custom homes and a custom bathroom to multiple design details categories. The company also picked up one of the prestigious special achievement awards, being named designer of the year.
For several of its wins, Flynn teamed up with Casa Verde Construction, which won six trophies of its own, including the special achievement category of custom builder of the year. One project in particular, The Horizon House, which won the anywhere in the world category for both Flynn and Casa Verde, caught the eye of judge David Carrothers of Carrothers and Associates in Hamilton.
“It was exceptional,” he said. “I love how it took all the views of the topography, and it was designed very well for the site. … It was just really thoughtful.”
Casa Verde’s Laura McElligot says the team was honoured to take home so many wins. “It was an incredible night for our team… Winning six awards was both humbling and inspiring, and it truly reflects the dedication, skill and teamwork that define Casa Verde Construction.”
Two other companies won six awards each: custom cabinet maker Laurysen Kitchens, which is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, and Sonya Kinkade Design, a long-time designer who often collaborates with Tamarack Homes on the new-home builder’s model homes. Laurysen and Kinkade shared awards on two projects, a custom home and a classic English-style kitchen with a “gentle use of muted, dark and classic colours,” they said in their entry.
Laurysen also won, with Minto, for the kitchen in last year’s CHEO lottery grand prize dream home (it also won at the provincial awards) plus three other kitchens, one with Picasso Custom Homes.
Among Kinkade’s other wins were three production categories (all with Tamarack) and the ensuite in her winning custom home.
Frequent award-winner RND Construction was at it again, claiming four trophies this year, including winning the coveted All Things Home People’s Choice Award, the only category that is awarded based on a public vote.
“The competition this year was fierce with many great finalists,” said RND founder Roy Nandram.
The project that won the People’s Choice was also Nandram’s favourite. “This is our first net zero reno and was on the RenoTour last year… It shows that you can take a simple home and modernize it while improving the energy efficiency. It also gives the homeowner all the designed space that her family was looking for. I feel that the people viewed this project for its simplicity, function and beauty.”
The project was an extensive renovation of a 1950s bungalow to bring it to a net zero ready level, which also earned it a second win for the innovation award of renovation of the year. The home’s features included a fun and unexpected child’s loft above the living room with a net for a floor.
“It’s essentially a big hammock … I found that one very interesting,” noted Carrothers.
Rounding out the prestige categories were veteran companies Minto, which was named production builder of the year for the second year in a row, and Amsted Design-Build, which won renovator of the year for a record 12th time and also for the second year in a row. Amsted is also the reigning provincial builder of the year, having claimed that accolade earlier this fall at the Ontario Home Builders’ Association Awards of Distinction for the third year running. Amsted has also won the provincial title a record seven times.
Both companies each claimed a total of three awards. Amsted won for the renovation of a bungalow to make it both stylish and more accessible and the basement renovation category for a self-contained secondary suite (it was also the company that entered the home with the indoor basketball court).
“It’s hard to put into words how special a night like that feels,” said Amsted’s Stephanie Haw. “The renovation category win showcases how beauty and accessibility can coexist in a main-floor transformation, while the basement renovation highlights the growing importance of creating additional dwelling units that are both functional and inviting.”
And she noted that winning renovator of the year again is something the company does not take for granted. “Pairing that with another provincial win is an incredible honour. It reminds us why we keep raising the bar year after year — for our clients, our community and for each other.”
Minto won for best mid- or high-rise apartment for 88 Beechwood (with RAW Design) and a production kitchen category for the 2024 dream home in the CHEO Dream of a Lifetime lottery, a category that Minto has won six of the past seven years, all for dream home kitchens. The kitchen was also one of several entries with a hidden space, in this case the pantry, and was a winner at the provincial awards.
MORE: Read about the 2024 Minto dream home
Other awards of note
Two other companies won four awards each: Nathan Kyle Studio for two kitchens and two bathrooms and Tamarack Homes for a production home, two kitchens and a bathroom.
MBHE Inc. also won two innovation awards — custom home of the year and the new category of towards net zero project — for what it bills as Canada’s first net zero coach house. It uses the contemporary additional dwelling unit as a short-term rental and demonstration home.
MORE: Read about MBHE’s coach house
And builder Richcraft won three awards for its Parkdale Collective rental building: two for individual suites and one for the best common area.
What’s trending
There were several recurring themes, many of which continued trends from last year, such as arches, texture and wood.
We’re also still embracing colour, but this year it was more muted, with comfort and a welcoming feeling the primary look. That’s being seen in an abundance of wood — accents, cabinets and more — and warm neutrals.
“The use of natural materials was at the forefront,” noted judge Chris Lemke of Alloy Homes in Calgary. “I find that homes like that and a palette like that tend to be more timeless.”
That also feeds into the growing trend to connect with nature, which is increasingly labelled as biophilic design. Indoor-outdoor connections, bringing in more natural light and using materials and design touches that evoke nature are all dominating Ottawa design right now.
Texture and layers were also increasingly popular with several entries — including fluted details, slat walls, stone and textiles — to create inviting spaces.
“I love to see the texture coming back. We need it, I feel, especially in our climate,” said judge Alana Loranger of Towne & Countree Kitchens in Edmonton. “We need that textural (context), the warmth, the curves that we’re starting to see more of. It’s so exciting.”
Lemke added that “we live in uncertain times right now. People, I think, have this nesting instinct and the notion that you’re surrounded by comfortable nostalgic elements (is appealing) … There’s a yearning for getting back in touch with simpler times, simpler materials.”
2025 Housing Design Awards winners
Here’s a look at the winning projects, broken down into six groups.
Production homes & condos
The production (or tract) home entries are typically builder model homes and included townhomes, singles and condos. There were 44 finalists vying for trophies in 12 categories.
“They seem to be fitting a lot more living space into less square footage,” noted judge James Bazely of Gregor Homes in Barrie, Ont. “They’ve done some great work on design and esthetics.”
Lemke noted that some of the condos and rentals in particular “were just really spectacular … It was a really interesting list of projects to go through this year.”
Custom homes
Custom home entries ranged from small infill homes to expansive estate properties and modern traditional to sleek contemporary. There were 19 finalists in five categories, which was down slightly from last year.
“The use of space and light was evident,” noted judge Shelley Brooks, executive director of BILD Medicine Hat, the housing association in the southern Alberta city.
Bazely added that “the number of entries was impressive given the economic situation; and the calibre of entries … I was very impressed.”
Kitchens & bathrooms
Traditionally among the most popular categories to enter, there were 137 kitchen and bath entries this year and 76 finalists vying for 17 awards.
Although she was disappointed there weren’t as many vibrant colours in kitchens this year as last, there were still “some spectacular kitchens … my jaw did drop a few times,” said Loranger.
Winners ranged from soft and subtle to bold and dramatic.
Renovations
“There’s some really creative stuff going on … it was interesting to see such a diverse palette coming out of the entries,” said judge Les Bellamy of Bellamy Homes in Kelowna, B.C.
With the exception of basement renovations, these categories are determined by price ranges, and there were 24 finalists in seven categories this year.
“I was very impressed with the smaller renovations and what you can actually do to create a fresh, new living space … there were some that were just really outstandingly well done,” said returning judge Marie Soprovich of Aquarian Renovations of Edmonton.
Another judge, David Carrothers of the architectural design firm Carrothers & Associates of Hamilton, concurred. “They were all outstanding,” he noted of both the renovation and design details sections. “Ottawa is a great design hub of the country (so) I was really happy to see … the quality of work.”
Design details
This group of categories looks at some of the finer details of a project, from housing details and rooms other than kitchens and bathrooms to exterior spaces, exterior details and projects outside the Ottawa coverage area.
This year, there were 37 finalists in eight categories, including the most popular category this year — any room in the house, which had 17 entries.
“Some of those deserved to be on a world stage,” noted Bellamy.
Innovation & special achievement
The innovation categories recognize green and sustainable building. The special achievement categories, meanwhile, are considered the prestige awards, recognizing general excellence in the category combined with how well the recipient has fared in other categories.
For the innovation entries, Hewett was impressed with “how far beyond code these homes are and the astounding airtightness (energy efficiency) these homes achieve. A leap above the pack.”
Beyond the technical achievements of the innovation entries, judge Ben Polley of Evolve Builders Group in Guelph, Ont., was impressed with how they were designed. “There are some designs that I thought were extremely appealing.”
