Langley buildings snatched top honours when the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board honoured the best of commercial real estate south of the Fraser River at its second annual Commercial Building Awards, handed out on Sept. 20 at the Langley Coast Hotel & Convention Centre.
In partnership with the Business Fraser Valley (BFV) newspaper, FVREB presented 11 awards in nine categories, with the highest honour, the Judges’ Choice Award, going to the Surrey City Centre Library.
Dennis Germyn, who chairs the FVREB’s commercial executive council, called the library is a “spectacular” building.
“Our judges recognized that it will become an iconic piece of architecture in our region because it fulfills the needs and aspirations of its users and the surrounding community, Germyn said.
“And that’s what these awards are dedicated to, recognizing innovation, talent and hard work from professionals committed to building better communities.”
A crowd of more than 150 applauded as Sunridge Gardens in Langley received a special Green Building award for being the most energy efficient. The seniors’ residence awaits gold certification for new construction by LEED Canada’s green building rating system. It expects to save approximately 1,250 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
Langley developments took home more than half of the awards of the evening. Here are the other 2012 Commercial Building Award of Excellence winners:
* Surrey City Centre Library, 10350 University Drive, Surrey (Community Institutional – in addition to being the Judges’ Choice Award)
* Avalon Gardens at Murrayville, 22323 – 48 Ave., Langley (Community – Seniors’ Housing)
* Sandman Signature Hotel & Suites, 8828 201 St., Langley (Hospitality)
* Corix Langley Gateway Facility, Gateway 200 Business Park, 84 Avenue/200 Street, Langley (Industrial)
* The Crossing condominiums, 33538 Marshal Rd., 33539 Holland Ave., and 1975 McCallum Rd., Abbotsford (Mixed Use – Commercial/Residential)
* Encore condominiums, 19899 55A Ave., Langley (Multi Family)
* Grandview Business Centre, 2626 Croydon Ave., South Surrey (Office)
* Kensington Prairie Community Centre, 16824 32 Ave., South Surrey (Restoration)
* Tamlin International Homes head office, 26020 31B Ave., Aldergrove (Renovation)
* Aldergrove Credit Union – Otter Community Branch, 3661 248 St., Aldergrove (Retail) 
In addition, eight Merit Awards were presented in five categories, with all 29 nominees evaluated on the following criteria:
* Does the development complement or add to the surrounding properties and neighbourhood?
• Is it esthetically pleasing?
• What construction materials were used in the overall design?
• Was it built in an environmentally sensitive manner?
• Does it incorporate any unique architectural features?
• How does this project compare to others in the same category?
The event’s main sponsor was RBC Financial. Others were RE/MAX Commercial, Fortis BC and BFV. The event was co-ordinated by FVREB’s Commercial Division and BFV.
The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board is an association of 2,900 real estate professionals with 200 Commercial Division members committed to serving the commercial real estate needs of the communities of North Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford and Mission.