It was a big year for all of us at Lagois Design∙Build∙Renovate. We celebrated 40 years ‒ four whole decades as one of Ottawa’s most successful design-build companies, founded in 1984.
On top of that, we had earned the right to the title of Renovator of the Year from the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association (GOHBA), awarded at their gala in November 2023.
Near the end of this year, we were once more singled out by GOHBA when we were named as finalists in 12 categories for the Housing Design awards among some outstanding competitors.
Our success is echoed by the rave reviews we have been receiving from homeowners, making us burst with pride, of course.
This year we are enriched by the talent of our amazing Interior Design Specialist, Emma Kwan, who has taken on the added job of Director of Marketing. (Watch for her eye-catching social media posts. We think you’ll like them.) We are delighted with our restyled and updated website by Emma, too. Take a look and see how beautiful it is!
And then there were the renovations in 2024… our own renovations, that is. We became intimately acquainted with dust, inconvenience, temporary spaces and tradespeople in and out while we carried on with everyday business. It was a challenge, but the result is spectacular. Our offices are our happy place.
In June, motorcycles, music, food and a silent auction were the highlights of a great event in North Gower when Lagois Design·Build·Renovate hosted its annual Motorcycle Ride for ROSSS.
As an example of the value of fundraising for the organization, every $50 raised allows ROSSS to deliver a week's worth of Meals on Wheels to a rural senior.
In September we held our annual golf tournament in support of Ronald McDonald House in Ottawa for families with seriously ill children undergoing treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). This year was one of our best golf days ever. We raised $22,886.44!
As always, in addition to these fundraising events, we donate to the Annual Snowsuit Drive and the North Gower Food Bank.
We celebrated the talent and commitment of these amazing team members who reached milestones with Lagois in 2024:
Tom Felts, Site Supervisor
Sophie Villeneuve, Project Development Manager
Jeff Hurdis, Lead Designer
Darren Vander Meer, Production Manager
Brenda Salmon, Office Manager
Kelly Goodenough, Bookkeeper
Jason Simons, Site Supervisor
Ruby Rose, Architectural Technologist
And this year we are happy to welcome Shahrzad Khezri, Construction Estimator, to the team.
We couldn’t have had such a great year, or any other year for that matter, without a whole army of superb partners: trades, suppliers and consultants who stand with us, help us, guide us and provide such beautiful work.
As we do each year, we said thank you to these incredible people and companies. We hosted a breakfast for them at Manderley on the Green Golf Course with our sponsors, Perkins Home Hardware, Homesol Building Solutions, and Manderley on the Green.
This year our stunning Scandinavian Natural kitchen snagged the top prize in the Kitchen Renovation category at the OHBA Housing Design Awards. We’re proud to have created a space that radiates warmth, functionality, and style: a blend of sleek design and cozy charm. (See photos, below and here.)
We celebrated fine businesses in the community and shared them with you. Here are some of them:
Mohamed Salama's North Gower Pharmacy
Ottawa photographer Miv Fournier
Sarah Joseph and her sweet North Gower cafe and bistro, The Kitcheness
Stef's Quality Painting in Kemptville, owed by Stefanie and Marco Giampaolo
William Pearl and family and Stevens Creek Shutter Company in Kemptville
Randy Todd and Toddy's Potties.
We believe in education for our team members.
This year Sophie Villeneuve, Lagois Project Development Manager, and Ruby Rose, Lagois Architectural Designer, took the Canadian Home Builders Association "Adaptiv Home" course for professionals who offer services to homeowners who want to live in their home safely and comfortably for as long as possible.
Along with Tom Felts, Lagois Site Supervisor, they also took the CHBA training for Net Zero builder and Net Zero renovator qualifications. The training was led by Homesol Building Solutions, a NetZero-qualified service organization. With this training, team members involved in a Lagois Net Zero project know how to speak to energy advisors about the plans and what needs to be implemented. Other members of the Lagois team have also received training.
We hope you’ll continue to enjoy the accomplishments of the Lagois team in 2025 while it creates spaces that enrich your lives ‒ spaces that are aesthetically inspiring, highly functional, innovative, sensitive to the environment and finish on time and on budget.
Comments