The glowing accolades came fast and furious for Chuck Cullen on Saturday night at the 2024 Okanagan Housing Awards.
Cullen, who for 33 years was a carpenter and project manager at Team Construction and is now a trades instructor at Okanagan College, received the 'lifetime achievement award' at the ceremony organized by the Central Okanagan branch of the Canadian Home Builders' Association.
At the awards, an eight minute video was played of various people praising Cullen for his life and work followed by a standing ovation by the crowd of 550 at the ceremony in the ballroom of the Delta Grand hotel.
Gord Wilson, the former owner of Team Construction who hired Cullen as a carpentry apprentice in 1991, called Cullen a "compelling character" and "trustworthy."
Dave Pfuetzner, who met Cullen when they were both third-year apprentices and is now owner of Align West Homes, described Cullen as a guy who had "no bad days" and "genuinely cared" and was an amazing dancer who could do the splits.
Others lauded him for being an innovator of sustainable building, a king of education and an all-round amazing guy, emitting only positive vibrations, quick to volunteer with the Central Okanagan branch of the Canadian Home Builders' Association and helping the group win association of the year at both the provincial and national levels, promoting the construction industry to youth and being a symbol of good and passing those values one,
Even his wife, kids and grandkids got in on the action, saying how much they love and respect him.
Cullen was president of the Central Okanagan branch of the Canadian Home Builders' Association in 2003-04 and 2013-14.
He retired from his 33-year career with Team Construction just a few months ago to become a trades instructor at Okanagan College to pass on his knowledge and expertise to the next generation of construction workers.
The awards evening also saw trophies in 40 other categories handed out.
The biggest, multiple winner was Fawdry Homes, which picked up trophies in four categories -- best home worth $2-$3 million, best home worth $1-$1.5 million, best home worth $750,000 to $1 million and best certified energy-efficient home.
'Home of the year' went to Lake Valley Homes for its glassy, angular, contemporary mansion called the Sunset Project.
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Here's the full list of winners:
- Lifetime achievement award
Chuck Cullen
- Home of the year
Lake Valley Homes for the Sunset Project
- Single-family home builder of the year (11 or more homes)
Carrington Homes
- Single-family home builder of the year (10 or fewer homes)
Destination Custom Homes
- Multi-family home builder of the year (townhouses, apartments or condominiums)
CorWest Builders
- Designer of the year
Isabey Interiors
- Renovator of the year
Little Building Solutions
- Supplier of the year
K2 Stone
- Excellence in mid-rise or mixed-use development
Live Edge Okanagan Builders for 417 Cedar Ave.
- Excellence in low-rise multi-family development
Innocept Development for Cawston
- Excellence in townhome or semi-detached development
CRC Developments for Quail Landing
- Excellence for home worth $3 million or more
Frame Custom Homes for Endless View
- Excellence for home worth $2-$3 million
Fawdry Homes for Coastal Comfort Meets Modern Luxury
- Excellence for home worth $1.5-$2 million
Hindbo Construction for So Good to be Home
- Excellence for home worth $1-$1.5 million
Fawdry Homes for Traditional Eclectic
- Excellence for home worth $750,000 to $1 million
Fawdry Homes for Indoor-Outdoor Harmony
- Excellence for home worth $500,000 to $750,000
Operon Homes for Okanagan Oasis
- Excellence for renovation over $1 million
Jesse J Contracting for Contemporary Lakeside Luxury
- Excellence for renovation $500,000 to $1 million
Thomson Dwellings for Kensington Eclectic
- Excellence for renovation under $500,000
Little Building Solutions for City Cottage
- Excellence for kitchen renovation $100,000 or more
Norelco Cabinets for the Norcotts' Modern Mediterranean Renovation
- Excellence for kitchen renovation less than $100,000
Westwood Fine Cabinetry for Entertainer's Dream
- Excellence for bathroom renovation
Norelco Cabinets for the Norcotts' Modern Mediterranean Renovation
- Excellence in innovation
NOvation Architecture for Bernie's Supper Club and Cinema
- Excellence in urban infill (property re-use)
Hague Construction for Patterson Pad
-Excellence for certified (energy-efficient) home
Fawdry Homes for Simple Green Efficiency
- Excellence for kitchen design in new home, $100,000 or less
Gibson Contracting for Okanagan Retreat
- Excellence for kitchen design in new home, over $100,000
MATERIA Interior Design Studio for One Water Penthouse #2
- Excellence in interior design, new home under 3,000-square-feet
Figura Design for Lakeside Haven
- Excellence in interior design, new home over 3,000-square-feet
Ian Paine Construction and Design for SilverStar Alpine Escape
- Excellence in primary suite design (new home or renovation)
Reico Construction for Sunset Boulevard
- Excellence in interior design, renovation, under 3,000-square-feet
Blue Alice Design for Modern La Casa
- Excellence in interior design, renovation, over 3,000-square-feet
Corinne Rephin and Tori Brich with Isabey Interiors for Moody Vintage
- Excellence in decorating and styling, new home or renovation under $75,000
Align West Homes for Aspen Grove Visual Harmony
- Excellence in decorating and styling, new home or renovation over $75,000
Hannah Katey Interior Design for Coastal Comfort Meets Modern Luxury
- Excellence in creating an interior feature or innovation
Frame Custom Homes for Park Place Elevator
- Excellence in building design (conceptual)
Hannah Katey Interior Design for Orchard Oasis
- Excellence in outdoor living space (new home or renovation)
H&H Custom Homes for The Butler Residence
- Excellence for show home worth less than $750,000
Dilworth Homes for The Kootenay at Kuilpers
- Excellence for show home worth more than $750,000
Align West Homes for the Aspen Grove Show Home
- Excellence in marketing
Millennial Developments for Five Crossings
The Central Okanagan branch of the Canadian Home Builders' Association has 350 members and represents builders, renovators and interior designers and the suppliers and trades they employ.
Members help create more than 16,000 jobs and contribute over $1 billion a year to the local economy.
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