New Homes
New Homes
Quality training never goes out of style
On February 14 and 15, the Construction Safety Association of Manitoba (CSAM) will again be hosting its annual Safety Conference at the RBC Convention Centre. This conference, recognized as one of the best construction safety conferences in Canada, offers local construction companies with quality safety training courses and workshops. Many Manitoba Home Builders’ Association members attend this conference to learn about new safety practices and equipment being used on residential construction worksites.
Safety is an important issue for the MHBA and our members. The Manitoba Home Builders’ Association requires all of its’ builder members to be COR/SECOR certified as part of our membership criteria. The Certificate of Recognition (COR™) Program is the ultimate accreditation to verify companies that have implemented a comprehensive health and safety program. This program provides industry employers with an effective safety and health management system to reduce incidents and injuries along with associated human and financial costs. The Small Employer Certificate of Recognition (SECOR™) Program is an occupational health and safety accreditation program that verifies companies that have a fully implemented safety and health program that meets provincial standards. It’s like a simplified version of COR™ for smaller companies.
COR certified companies undertake extensive safety training for their workers. COR/SECOR certification for Manitoba’s residential construction industry is managed and monitored by the CSAM. In addition to the annual Safety Conference, CSAM is a tremendous year-round resource of information and best practices that keep our COR/SECOR certified members up to date on workplace safety and health issues.
A safe work environment and a safe work culture in a company are also important in attracting new and young skilled workers wanting to enter the residential construction industry as a career. Consistently ensuring a safe work site goes a long way to making a company an employer of choice for workers entering the industry.
When you are looking for a builder for your new home, make sure your builder is COR/SECOR certified. You can be sure they are certified if they are a Manitoba Home Builders’ Association builder. You will want to know that the work site for your new home is safe and is operated by someone who takes pride in their reputation, their performance, and most of all, takes care of the people working on your new home. Safety is everyone’s business and everyone should come home from a day at work safe.
From February 25 to March 19, the MHBA’s 2023 Spring Parade of Homes will showcase over 120 different homes by Manitoba’s best home building companies. Each and every show home entered into the MHBA Parade of Homes was built on a safe worksite under the supervision of COR/SECOR certified company.
Lannny McInnes is president of the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association.
New Homes
Ingenious infill
Just over two years ago, the management team at Paragon Design Build had a vision.
After custom building many luxury homes in Tuxedo over the years, they’d fallen in love with the majestic, storied area.
And, as much as they’d poured their creativity and collective imaginations into every home they’d built, they longed to find the perfect lot, one on which they could build a true Tuxedo Classic.
“We wanted to do something really special,” says Nigel Furgus, president, and co-founder of Paragon. “Our vision was to build an old-world classic that was filled with modern touches and unparalleled quality.”
Eventually, they found that perfect lot, a 75-foot by 130-foot parcel of land at 425 Kelvin Blvd.
A little more than a year later after the original residence was knocked down, a 2,526-sq.-ft. masterpiece — more specifically, a California-style bungalow — sits proudly on the expansive, mature lot.
“It’s just a magnificent home,” says David De Leeuw. “Paragon’s design team, which was led by Krista Webb, thought everything down to the tiniest detail. You just don’t see this level of detail anymore. The craftsmanship is simply incredible from start to finish.”
The first thing that hits you when you step inside the sprawling bungalow — its stone clad exterior looks amazing — is how bright and spacious the home’s interior is.
“That comes from a 12-foot ceiling and huge, floor-to-ceiling fibreglass windows on the rear wall of both the kitchen and great room,” he says. “Tons of natural light pours in through the black-trimmed windows, and the finishes are absolutely gorgeous, starting with the kitchen.”
In this instance, Paragon’s design team deftly combined cutting-edge finishes with classic design details.
“Stunning Moonrock quartz countertops on the rift oak island and around the range combine with 10.5-foot-tall cabinetry, a stately Corbel-style hood fan with plaster finish and old-fashioned pendant lights to give the area a modern yet timeless feel,” notes De Leeuw. “There’s a brass pot filler over the stove, and a pantry with storage featuring a built-in ladder with brass railing.”
He adds that the mudroom to the rear of the kitchen is something to behold.
“It possesses modern function with its 14-foot ceiling and all its space, yet it also has a classic feel with custom oak cabinetry with brass hardware and grey and white heated tile floor that’s set in a classic diamond orientation.”
The service area — mudroom, kitchen, and elegant dining area — then transitions smoothly into a breathtaking living room with a striking chandelier and dimmable pot lights.
“It’s incredibly spacious and features wonderful finishes such as the same white oak engineered hardwood flooring seen in the kitchen and dining area, a gorgeous gas fireplace with light grey tile trim, pewter grey mantel and built-in storage on either side,” he says. “The black trimmed windows really pop on the off-white walls, and the circular chandelier is fittingly grand.”
Then, there’s the private bedroom wing, which holds a spacious laundry room, luxurious main bath, two oversized secondary bedrooms with walk-in closets — and the primary bedroom.
“The only word to describe it is spectacular,” says De Leeuw. “The bedroom itself is spacious, light-filled, and features a gorgeous grey shiplap wall behind the bed. A bronze chandler surrounded by LED pot lighting adds a wonderful, functional touch of class.”
Next comes the bedroom’s piece de resistance, an opulent ensuite.
“It’s simply spectacular with its curbless shower with hand-formed tile surround, heated tile floor, stand-alone soaker tub with vintage polished nickel Kohler faucet and dual oak vanities with built-in make-up station. There’s also a generously proportioned walk-in closet with tons of custom built-in storage.”
Not surprisingly, the home’s peerless design continues downstairs in the fully finished lower level.
“More quality and style is showcased in the form of an ICF (insulated concrete form) foundation, structural wood floor and a fabulous rec room with more white oak engineered hardwood flooring and a gas fireplace set in a limestone surround,” he says. “Ceiling height is nine feet.”
Not surprisingly, the rec room is only the beginning.
“There’s a wet bar area, media room, gym, main bath and two more bedrooms,” De Leeuw says, adding the home is fully automated. “Overall, this house blows me away. It has the craftsmanship and style you see in 100-year-old homes yet offers modern function in every area. A lot of love went into the design of the home, and it shows.”
lewys@mymts.net