We’re proud to announce that on June 21, 2024 our project, Third Space Commons, received the inaugural ECABC Innovation Award at the AGM & Gala Dinner in Penticton!
In 2022, Third Quadrant Design, a UBC student-led team, embarked on a journey to create Third Space Commons for the 2023 Solar Decathlon Build Challenge. Initially designed as a single-family home, Third Space quickly evolved into a symbol of sustainable construction.
The Solar Decathlon Challenge, organized by the U.S. Department of Energy, is an international competition that challenges collegiate teams to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy. It features two main competitions: the Design Challenge, which spans one to two semesters and focuses on design only, and the Build Challenge, a two-year program where teams design and build their projects.
Participating in the 2023 Build Challenge, Third Quadrant Design competed against teams from around the world, showcasing their dedication to advancing sustainable construction practices. Our entry, Third Space Commons, stood out for its unique approach and innovative solutions.
This carbon-negative material was used for constructing the walls of Third Space. Not only does hempcrete provide insulation and moisture regulation, but it also absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, aligning perfectly with the project’s sustainability goals.
We minimized waste and costs by repurposing materials from buildings slated for demolition.
Passive design principles reduced the need for artificial systems. Natural ventilation, rainwater collection, and energy-efficient lighting were key elements.
We integrated intelligent lighting control, energy-efficient floorboard heating, HVAC systems, and controls to optimize energy usage.
All these innovations contributed to Third Space’s environmental footprint reduction. Compared to a baseline building, Third Space achieved a 75% reduction in total carbon emissions over its projected 10-year lifespan.
The interdisciplinary Third Quadrant Design team, comprising engineering, architecture, arts, and business students, drove this project from design to completion. Our mentorship and technical support helped the student project team overcome challenges, refine their skills, and make meaningful contributions to sustainable construction.
ABOUT THE AWARD
The ECABC Innovation Award recognizes outstanding innovation in construction practices and technology. This year’s theme focused on Green Infrastructure, highlighting a project that contributed to BC’s transition to a low-carbon future. Receiving this inaugural award underscores our commitment to pushing the boundaries of sustainable building and inspiring future projects.
We are thrilled to announce that Houle has once again achieved Platinum membership status in Deloitte’s Best Managed Companies program! This marks our twelfth consecutive year receiving this prestigious recognition for our exceptional management abilities and business practices.
At Houle, we commit to excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth as the foundation of our operations. These principles guide every decision we make and reflect the hard work and dedication of our entire team in leading our industry forward. Their passion, expertise, and pursuit of excellence have been instrumental in our success.
As we continue to evolve, we remain dedicated to bringing communities to life by delivering exceptional service and driving positive change in the industry.
We extend our congratulations to all this year’s winners! See the winner’s list here.
Canada’s Best Managed Companies remains the hallmark of excellence for private Canadian-owned and managed businesses. Since its inception in 1993, this program has attracted hundreds of entrepreneurial companies competing for recognition through a rigorous and independent evaluation of their management skills and practices.
The awards are granted across four levels:
This program is proudly sponsored by Deloitte Private, CIBC, The Globe and Mail, Salesforce, and TMX Group.
For more information, visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca.
In February 2024, we proudly received the Johnson Controls Open Globe Award for Outstanding Sales Excellence! As a leader in security access controls, being ranked among the top performers for 2023 is a testament to our talented Technology teams and their commitment to collaboration that supports delivering innovative systems integration solutions for our customers. Thanks to Johnson Controls for this recognition.
It’s through our talented teams and strong partnerships that we can succeed in delivering excellent service to our customers and communities. As BC’s leading electrical contractor and systems integrator, we are proud of our sales performance and achievement.
Les Koss, Vice President, Technology
The Johnson Controls Open Globe Award for Outstanding Sales Excellence recognizes partners who deliver exceptional knowledge and expertise when managing security access controls and have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the customer. The outstanding sales performers rank among the “best of the best” in fiscal year 2023.
We’re thrilled to be recognized among this year’s BC’s Top Employers! We’re proud of our talented teams and innovative programs that create a supportive workplace where everyone can grow and make a lasting impact. This marks the third year that we have been honoured with this distinction, reinforcing our commitment to continuous improvement and maintaining an outstanding workplace.
TOP EMPLOYER
AN ANNUAL DISTINCTION FOR EXCEPTIONAL WORKPLACES
The Top Employer designation, organized by Mediacorp Canada Inc., is awarded annually to organizations across BC that “lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work.” Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offers the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. The evaluation covers eight essential criteria:
It’s an honour to receive this recognition for our purpose-driven culture and programs that empower employees to make a positive impact in our communities. This achievement serves as a testament to our commitment to providing meaningful work, ongoing career development, and opportunities to grow.
Amber Roberts, VP, People & Culture
As BC’s leading electrical contractor and systems integrator, with over 1,200 dedicated professionals employed in both office and field positions, we’re committed to building teams that thrive. Driven by purpose and connected through collaboration, our focus on people guides our success in delivering some of the most exciting projects in the province.
Learn more about BC’s Top Employers and what sets Houle apart as an employer of choice here.
Want to work on exciting projects? Check out our current career opportunities.
On November 16, 2023, Houle was inducted into the Burnaby Business Hall of Fame. This special award is bestowed jointly by the Burnaby Board of Trade and the City of Burnaby every year to a widely-recognized, Burnaby-based business that has demonstrated outstanding business success over many years and has had a positive and significant impact on the community.
This award is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and innovation of our entire team and to our almost 80-years of providing electrical and technology solutions to people across the province. It also reflects the values that drive us every day – excellence, collaboration, and a commitment to making a positive impact.
The Houle legacy began in 1944, when Lionel Houle and his father opened an electrical store in Port Alberni to serve the needs of the community. In the 1950s, Lionel established Houle’s headquarters in the city of Burnaby, and we’ve been growing ever since. Today, we have become BC’s leading electrical contractor and systems integrator. Trusted to deliver some of the province’s most complex infrastructure projects. From hospitals, universities, and shopping centres, to airports, shipping terminals, and sustainable power infrastructure. We’re passionate about what we do and provide the experience, capabilities, and resources to deliver innovative solutions for any project.
We’re also proud of our long-standing tradition of supporting organizations that do incredible work in our communities. This includes groups like the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
We are honored to have been selected and express our gratitude to the Burnaby Board of Trade, its members, the City of Burnaby, and the entire Burnaby community for granting us this prestigious recognition. This recognition energizes and inspires us to continue our work in bringing communities to life.
The Burnaby Board of Trade (BBOT) is Burnaby’s most active business networking, advocacy and economic development organization. Working closely with the municipality, its members, and various community stakeholders. The BBOT supports the growth of business both locally and internationally and fosters a sustainable business environment through networking, education, advocacy and development. The BBOT focuses on ‘making business better’ by providing its membership with insightful leadership, advocacy, education and a platform for collaboration. For more information about the BBOT, visit bbot.ca.
We did it again! For the fourth consecutive year, Houle has been certified as a Great Place to Work®. This certification recognizes our team’s commitment to living our core values, building a positive workplace culture, and implementing processes and tools that help drive our success.
As an employer that puts people first; we’re a company with heart and a commitment to making a positive difference. The passion and dedication of our founders live on in our current generation of employees as we seek to create opportunities for everyone who works at Houle, for our partners, and for the communities in which we operate. We work to create a safe, fun, and fulfilling work environment where everyone is welcome, valued, and given the opportunity to grow. This includes extensive safety standards and programs, mental health and wellness resources, community outreach and charitable giving, fun events, and team-building socials that help us laugh and grow together.
We’re proud of the lasting workplace culture we’ve built over the decades – continually adapting and adopting better ways of doing things, while never letting go of our values and who we are as a company. It’s inspiring to see our people continue to foster a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
– Amber Roberts, VP of People & Culture, Houle
Great Place to Work® is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, Great Place to Work® recognizes the Best Workplaces™ across the world in a series of national lists including those published by Fortune magazine (USA) and The Globe & Mail (Canada).
The Great Place Institute determines certification based on the results of an anonymous employee survey and a separate evaluation of the organization’s management practices. The survey includes various parameters like safety, respect, fairness, management, team dynamics, and inclusion.
Want to work in a positive and growing organization? Check out our current career opportunities.
We’re thrilled to be listed among Canada’s Best Managed Companies again for 2023. We’re honoured to requalify as a Platinum Club member, retaining our Best Managed status for over ten consecutive years!
It’s a privilege to be part of a company that continues to provide leadership in developing people and culture, exceeding industry standards, and bringing communities to life across BC.
Keith Parsonage, President & CEO, Houle
This designation is a reflection of our talented teams and strategic initiatives that contribute to our success. Evaluation determines best practices in the areas of strategy, culture and commitment, capabilities and innovation, governance, and financial performance. This award recognizes our dedication to connecting our people with purpose and delivering projects that make a lasting impact.
We congratulate all this year’s winners! See the winner’s list here.
About Canada’s Best Managed Companies
Canada’s Best Managed Companies continues to be the mark of excellence for private Canadian-owned and managed companies. Since 1993, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies compete for this designation. Each time, completing a rigorous and independent process that evaluates their management skills and practices.
The awards are granted on four levels: 1) Canada’s Best Managed Companies new winner (one of the new winners selected each year); 2) Canada’s Best Managed Companies winner (award recipients that have re-applied and successfully retained their Best Managed designation for two additional years, subject to annual operational and financial review); 3) Gold Standard winner (after three consecutive years of maintaining their Best Managed status, these winners have demonstrated their commitment to the program and successfully retained their award for 4-6 consecutive years); 4) Platinum Club member (winners that have maintained their Best Managed status for seven years or more). Program sponsors are Deloitte Private, CIBC, The Globe and Mail, Salesforce, and TMX Group.
For more information, visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca.
We’re thrilled to announce that we received the Innovation and Productivity Award at the 2023 Southern Interior Construction Association (SICA) Industry Awards of Excellence!
This award recognizes leadership in innovation and productivity and the challenges overcome to produce excellence in construction. Our Project Planning and Prefab teams employ Building Information Modeling (BIM) modeling to improve collaboration with clash detection, resolution planning, and scheduling coordination which helps reduce costly delays and rework.
Our prefabrication capabilities support improved safety by reducing on-site construction and provide greater efficiencies when delivering large, complex projects. Through this innovative process and direct collaboration with our clients and project stakeholders, we’re able to significantly increase productivity on our projects and the overall quality of our installations. These capabilities and approaches also improve our ability to engage in multi-trade collaboration on larger projects, offering improved project management and enhanced sustainability for our project partners.
Shout-out to our talented teams for their contributions to our culture of innovation and collaboration and thanks to SICA for providing leadership and promoting excellence in the construction industry.
MORE ABOUT SICA
The Southern Interior Construction Association (SICA) is a non-profit membership organization representing the construction industry in the southern interior of British Columbia. SICA works to ensure fairness, transparency, and open communication in the construction industry while supporting the growth of local businesses. The association offers a wide range of services to its members, including networking opportunities, training, education, and industry advocacy.
To kick off BC Construction Month, we’re excited to share that we’re the recipients of two Builders Code Awards – the Workplace Culture Champion Award and the Contractor of the Year Award!
These awards recognize the efforts of our people and programs that continue to create an environment where all employees have access to a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace. We’re proud of our people-focused culture that inspires collaboration and innovation and promotes wellness and safety that goes beyond PPE. Thanks to our talented teams that prioritize safety, health, and wellbeing and continuously work to make the construction industry better for everyone.
The Builders Code, managed by the BC Construction Association, is a code of behaviour that acts as a guide for workers on construction sites. It defines an “Acceptable Worksite” as being safe, productive, and free from discrimination, bullying, harassment, and hazing. The Builders Code is intended to help construction employers communicate a reasonable, consistent behaviour expectation to improve the safety, productivity and retention of skilled tradespeople, and reduce project risk.
View the full list of winners on the Builders Code website.
We’re honoured to receive the Healthy, Diverse and Inclusive Workplace award at the 23rd Annual Burnaby Business Excellence Awards! We’re proud of our talented teams and innovative programs that help promote safety, health and wellbeing and a culture of inclusion, diversity and belonging at Houle.
This award recognizes our commitment to creating an environment where team members of all backgrounds feel safe, respected and valued. Our work is far from over and we will continue to strive for better in our pursuit of a truly diverse and inclusive workplace. We look forward to building on our success and creating a better future for our teams and clients.
Thank you to the Burnaby Board of Trade for the recognition and for celebrating the outstanding contributions to the local economy and community. Congratulations to all the finalists, nominees, and award recipients of the Burnaby Business Excellence Awards. Your contributions to the local economy and community are valuable and appreciated.
The Burnaby Business Excellence Awards is a joint initiative of the Burnaby Board of Trade and the City of Burnaby. The Awards Program is an opportunity to recognize and honour Burnaby businesses that have demonstrated outstanding business excellence, innovation, success and contributions to our city, as well as have made a significant contribution to community spirit, service and quality of life.
Healthy, Diverse and Inclusive Workplace – For a business that has recognized the value of employee health and wellness, and has created a workplace and culture which supports employees in their efforts to achieve work-life balance and to maintain and improve their physical, emotional and mental well-being. For a business that demonstrated sustained support for advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace and as a catalyst within an industry, organization or local community.