Every year, Calgary’s residential building and development industry gathers to do something it does exceptionally well – celebrate. The BILDCR Awards, presented by the Building Industry Land Development Association Calgary Region (BILDCR), have been honouring the best in homebuilding, development, renovations and more, since the 1980s. And with each passing year, the program gets a little bigger, a little bolder and a little harder to top.
This year? They topped it.
850 Entries and Counting
The numbers tell the story. In 2025, the BILDCR Awards received a massive 850 entries from across the membership, a five-year record for the program and a clear sign that Calgary’s building community is as energized as ever.
With over 600 member companies spanning every corner of the industry, BILD Calgary Region has always been committed to making sure the awards program reflects that diversity. This year, more than 60 categories were on offer, giving everyone from large-volume homebuilders to boutique trades partners a genuine shot at the podium.
“It’s important for us to offer a wide array of awards that allow our members to showcase their products, communities and services,” says BILDCR CEO Brian Hahn. “It’s crucial to recognize the vital role each of our members plays in providing housing for those looking to make our city or region their home.”
Built to Evolve
What keeps the BILDCR Awards relevant after four decades? A committee that refuses to let the program get stale.
Each year, the Awards Committee, a group of over 15 industry veterans representing all facets of the membership, convenes to take a hard look at the program. They review categories against current pricing trends, square footage benchmarks, renovation and marketing innovations, and ask a simple but important question: does this still reflect what our industry looks like today?
The answer drives meaningful change. Recent additions like expanded price bands and grand awards have opened the door for smaller companies to step into the spotlight. A category like Best Out of Home Marketing is a strong example of how the program continues to open up more possibilities for companies to enter a wider array of products. This program is less like a legacy event and more like a living, breathing reflection of the industry itself.
And the Winners Are…
The awards ceremony is always the main event, part gala, part networking hub and entirely unforgettable. This year’s Grand Award recipients represent the pinnacle of what Calgary’s building industry has to offer. Congratulations to:
- Boutique Partner of the Year: Wildwood Cabinets
- Enterprise Partner of the Year: Platform Insurance
- Renovator of the Year: Crafted Edge Homes
- Large Volume Single-Family Builder: Jayman Built
- Large Volume Multi-Family Builder: Logel Homes
- Small Volume Single-Family Builder: Dream Ridge Homes
- Small Volume Multi-Family Builder: RareBuilt Homes
Why It All Matters
Beyond the trophies and the applause, the BILDCR Awards do something quietly powerful: they push the entire industry forward, and that momentum has never been more important.
Demand for housing remains high in Calgary. While the market for certain product types may be moderating, Calgary remains one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, and the need for affordable, quality housing across the full spectrum continues to grow. BILD members have consistently risen to that challenge, delivering everything from single-family homes and townhomes to apartments, villas and other products that did not exist a decade ago.
Making homes attainable is just as important as building them, and there is genuine reason for optimism on that front. BILD Calgary Region, as part of the Canadian Home Builders Association network, has long advocated for policies that reduce barriers to homeownership, and those efforts are yielding results. The federal government’s First-Time Home Buyer GST Rebate eliminates the GST on new homes priced under $1 million and reduces it on homes priced between $1 million and $1.5 million, representing a meaningful reduction in upfront costs for Calgarians looking to purchase a new home. More information on the rebate is available on the Government of Canada website.
This kind of policy progress, paired with the steady supply of housing that BILD members bring to market, is the combination Calgary needs. Affordability is not achieved by one policy or one builder alone. It is the result of the ongoing collaboration between industry and its partners in city building at all three levels of government.
The BILDCR Awards amplify the best of that work. By shining a spotlight on projects that prioritize energy efficiency, sustainable materials and smart design, the program sends a clear signal to the industry: this is what good looks like. That kind of recognition does not just feel good. It drives real change, sparks new ideas, raises standards and inspires professionals across the industry to bring their best work forward year after year.
Winning a BILDCR Award also carries genuine weight. For companies of all sizes, it is a mark of credibility that resonates with buyers, partners and peers alike, and a powerful reminder of why doing exceptional work matters.
What’s Next: Big Changes Coming for 2026
Here is the part worth getting excited about.
As we move into summer, the Awards Committee will reconvene to review the 2025 program and begin shaping what is next. And if the early signals are any indication, 2026 is shaping up to be the most exciting year yet.
Chief among the upcoming changes is a fully revamped Innovation Awards category, reimagined from the ground up to celebrate genuinely new and unexpected ideas from across the membership. The new format is intentionally open-ended, designed to give members creative freedom to showcase concepts that do not fit neatly into a traditional box. Think less checklist, more conversation starter.
The 2026 submission period is set to open in the fall, giving members plenty of time to put their best work forward.
Four decades in, the BILDCR Awards are still setting the pace, and the best is clearly still to come.