Three Penticton projects and one in Summerland are in the running for this year’s commercial building awards.
This year’s finalists for the eight annual Southern Interior Construction Association Commercial Building Awards features 28 finalists, drawn from entries from cities throughout the Thompson, Okanagan and Kootenays; Kamloops south to Penticton and east to Cranbrook.
The finalists chosen from Penticton include Ellis Town Homes, built by the Radec Group; Play Estate Winery, built by Greyback Construction Ltd. and designed by Robert Mackenzie Architect Inc.; and the Southborough Convenience Centre, built by Cornies Consulting and designed by Shelter Designs.
Read more: Play amongst the view at Penticton's newest winery
Mohamed Awad, general manager and wine maker at Play, said the design of the building makes it a pleasure to work in, starting from the ground up with the natural cellar temperature that exits in the barrel room due to the decision of putting it underground.”It’s great working in a building that makes my work load easier, thanks to the great simple yet elegant design in the production area,” said Awad. Another factor is the view from the winery, which the building is designed to frame. “The fact that the building is utilized to showcase the beautiful view from most of the building which our guests enjoy and so do the team members,” said Awad. In Summerland, the new Summerland Branch Library, constructed by Tango and designed by Urban Arts Architecture is on the list.
Community librarian Caroline McKay said a patron told her the new building it is the best investment Summerland ever made.
The library also has meeting spaces, which were lacking in the former location.
“The meeting rooms have been rented for activities and groups that we would generally not have seen in the past. For example, we had the room rented out for a birthday party and it was a big success. They had music, food and a clown for entertainment, even a piñata,” said McKay.
The new library seems to have caught the attention of more than just the judges with its wood features and natural light through large windows. In the first year of operation, more than 75,000 people came to the library, up from 66,904 in the previous year.
South Okanagan projects have done well in past SICA awards. Canadian Helicopters was honoured in the industrial category, Mirado Restaurant (Oliver) in hospitality and the Shatford Centre for commercial renovation and restoration are on the list of past winners.
New institutional, commercial, industrial building, multi/single family, recreational or renovation projects must have been completed between July 31, 2015 and July 31, 2016 were eligible. Each submission is being judged by a team of independent judges on how it complements the surrounding area; aesthetic quality, architectural features, green construction and other factors.
The winners will be announced on Oct. 27 during a gala dinner at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Kelowna. Tickets to the event are available through www.businessexaminer.ca/events.
— Files from John Arendt/Black Press