A Langley construction company has been shortlisted for a series of regional building awards.
Versa Platinum Construction was announced as a finalist for the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association’s Ovation Awards late last week, earning the nominations for two recently completed renovations projects – one in Langley and the other in Vancouver.
The company – Versa Homes for short – is an Aldergrove-based company owned by Felipe Freig.
He started in the industry almost two decades ago, focused on tile and bathrooms. In 2010, he expanded his Langley company to offer overall home renovations. Then, anxious to keep the Versa name going, he diversified further into new home construction last year under the banner of Versa Platinum Construction.
Making this shortlist, Freig said he’s excited, noting the nominations “highlights the type of work you do and the standard of service you give your customers – the homeowners.”
Versa is up for the best renovated room award for two of his 2016 projects, one he dubbed Let There Be Light! is a Vancouver home, while the other a unique wine cellar – he called that project Cave a Vin – in a home in the Tall Timbers neighbourhood of Langley.
He’s also up for the best renovation valued between $400,000 and $699,999, again for the work Versa did on the Let There Be Light! project.
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CAPTION: Felipe Freig is excited, as his Facebook page attests, to being nominated for three Ovation Awards.
“It’s a good feeling to be recognized for the work you’re doing,” Freig told the Langley Advance, noting that recognition like this, and the recent nominations for three Georgie Awards (offered through the Canadian Home Builders Association of B.C.) helps solidify his company’s reputation within the industry and adds a degree of tangible creditability that assures future customers.
“It recognizes all the sweat and tears that are put into our clients homes,” he added, particularly proud of these two projects.
These awards showcase the highest calibre of within the home building industry – from new home construction, to renovation and design in Metro Vancouver, said GVHBA CEO Bob de Wit.
“In addition to highlighting the inspirational buildings and designs, the Ovation Awards spotlight the industry leaders who are shaping our neighbourhoods,” Wit said. “We are proud of our world-class builders, renovators and designers who are working to deliver a complete mix of housing choices to meet the demand of a broad variety of homeowners, which is essential to supporting our thriving communities.”
Passionate about home building and design, the public is invited to decide the winner of one category; the top residential multi-family community with the Shaw Viewers’ Choice Ovation Award.
Viewers can check out the finalists and cast their votes until April 17 at https://www.shaw.ca/ovation/
The winners of the 2017 Ovation Awards, including the viewer’s choice, , will be announced at the a gala on Saturday, April 29 at the Marriott in downtown Vancouver.
While Freig is appreciative of the acknowledgements, and he’s psyched to be nominated, he’s already turned his full attention to a series of new projects he has in the works. One is his own 9,000-square-foot home currently under construction in Aldergrove. He and his team are also working on a 17,000-square-foot house in Langley for Nickelback’s frontman Chad Kroeger, they’ve just completed a 4,300-square-foot home in Coquitlam, and they have another 2,700-square-foot rancher in the works in Aldergrove.
Specifics of the Versa projects
In the Vancouver reno, dubbed Let There Be Light!, he turned an unfinished basement into open-concept fun zone, complete with an indoor hockey rink, gymnasium, cinema, entertainment room, bar, billiards room, arts-and-crafts station.
Pony walls allow parental supervision of the hockey rink and a gym (complete with rings suspended from the ceiling), and doubles as boards for hockey rink.
Custom fabricated barn doors facilitate easy room configuration, also giving it a rustic design elements with what he calls a modern loft feel. And barn doors for arts and crafts area allows for a huge table and unconfined space.
The open concept on this project allows for distinct areas of interest, but not isolation. The white paint throughout much of it combines with an abundance of light to achieve a bright feeling.
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CAPTION: A wine cellar in this Langley home is anything but average.
Meanwhile, the other project was a wine cellar – dubbed Cave a Vin – build in Langley.
The homeowner was seeking storage for valuable wine collection, but wanted an authentic old-world feel combined with a classy luxurious feel in an interesting and relaxing atmosphere.
The owner didn’t just want a place to “just grab a bottle.”
“Chandeliers from Design Lighting contribute a subtle steampunk-era influence, and draw the eye upwards, to the hand-painted ceiling,” Freig explained. “Three display alcoves add interesting focus points within the extensive cabinetry. ightly-coloured ledgestone was chosen to back the display alcoves. The natural, texture-rich material contrasts with the smooth, dark mahogany finishes, and harks back to traditional underground French cellars of old – the caves à vin.”
The alcove opposite the entrance creates a perfect home for an original 19th century work by John Sanderson Wells called, The Card Game. The painting lends what Freig called “an old-world authenticity” to the entire room, transporting occupants to a time when art and wine were the “joie de vivre, above all else.”
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CAPTION: A Vancouver kitchen, renovated by Versa, was redesigned to be high functioning and still allow for entertaining.
In the Let There Be Light home renovation, the homeowner wanted more than just the basement redone.
They were seeking a bright, modern, kid-friendly, livable kitchen upstair, as well, that still maintained what Freig called a classic 1920s Tudorstyle mansion feel.
They wanted functionality, and a pleasure-to-use kitchen that also facilitated entertaining.
Highlights included an undermount sink in prep island for efficient, a safe food preparation area, a pot-filler station for streamlined cooking, space-saving built-ins (including a spice pullouts, blind-corner optimizer, and garbage pullouts), porcelain countertops and stainless appliances.
