There’s winning a category and then there’s what Bedrock Homes achieved at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association Edmonton Region 2020 Awards of Excellence in Housing.

Bedrock not only captured the trophy for Best Townhouse/Duplex $400,000 to $475,000 but earned the two finalist placings, as well.

The veteran builder’s Creekwood Collections at Chappelle’s Sofia Phoenix II took top prize while its Rocha in the Orchards Hudson Phoenix II and Rocha in the Orchards Hudson Avery were runners-up.

“It is unique and people are recognizing that,” says Laura Box, Bedrock’s marketing manager, of the builder’s winning entry.

Located in the striking Edmonton community of Creekwood Collections at Chappelle, there’s a lot setting the 1,734-square-foot Sofia Phoenix II apart.

“What makes it unique is its double car garage, and the whole main floor is very open-concept,” says Box.

“On the second floor you get into this large central bonus room which separates the master suite at the front of the home and the secondary bedrooms at the back of the home,” she adds. “It provides a lot of privacy for both the children’s bedrooms and the master suite.”

While bonus rooms are found in other duplex designs — with Bedrock’s reaching 14 feet by 16 feet — it’s rare to see one so large.

The model also has the option to include a secondary suite in the basement with its own entrance, full kitchen, great room, bedroom, full bathroom, and laundry room.

“People want it,” says Box, adding that the addition of a secondary suite can make owning a home more affordable. “It’s a great way to get into the market with someone else paying your mortgage for you. It’s popular, both with people using it as a rental suite, and to support the needs of multi-generational families.”

Other standout features include a corner pantry and substantial front entry with built-in mudroom organizers.

While offering models that have been successful in the past only makes sense, Bedrock also understands the importance of breaking new ground.

“Our team is all about innovation,” says Box.

“We’re constantly looking at other markets within Canada and the U.S. to see what’s there, what works, what we can bring to our market or what we can do differently that we see would work well for our buyers.”

This focus is allowing them to offer an even deeper level of customer satisfaction and connect with demographics they had not reached in the past.

Over the past few years, the builder has added more home styles, floor plans, and floor plan options. It has also branched out from its origins in the Edmonton area to offer homes in Red Deer, and a town 24 kilometres west of Red Deer, Sylvan Lake.

Bedrock now has 60 home models. Part of this expansion of options includes using its experience and expertise around home buyer preferences to enter additional market segments.

Its additional home styles include single-family homes with a detached garage, single-family homes on a zero lot line orientations, executive bungalows, and executive townhomes.

Zero lot line homes involve building against one side of the lot, setting up a five-foot-plus separation between the home and neighbour. This means more homes can fit on a stretch of land than traditional lots with four-foot side yards. As a result, these savings are then passed on to the home buyer.

“In Red Deer, we are building single-family homes where the houses are wider but the depth is shallower than a traditional home, so the front of your house is not taken over by your garage,” Box says. “It has a front veranda with natural light coming through your front windows.”

With the wider selection, “We are able to cater to all different types of demographics,” she adds.

Understanding and delivering what the customer wants extends to Bedrock’s specifications and floor plan features, as well.

For instance, Bedrock now offers smart home automation as a standard feature. It includes, a doorbell camera, smart control panel, and a smart thermostat, among other features.

“We have one app that controls absolutely everything, which is unique in the market place.”

Seeing its significance to some households, Bedrock has also introduced the option of a spice kitchen for some of its models.

This is an enclosed, ventilated secondary cooking space that connects to the conventional kitchen. Its purpose is to restrict the flow of aromas created by flavourful cuisines from entering other ends of the home.

Spice kitchens also hide any mess created during food preparation from guests while hosting get-togethers.

“Its about having those options that different generations and different demographics are going to like,” says Box.

This is part of what makes Bedrock a standout option for home buyers, says Irene Perkins, account manager for The Alberta New Home Warranty Program.

“The Bedrock Homes team focuses first on finding what their customer values in their new home and then thoughtfully curates homes and options to bring those needs and wants to life,” she adds.  “More than being a great home builder, they are exceptional at being a committed homeowner partner, making the homeownership experience easy and enjoyable.

“ANHWP shares those same values, and is proud to support Bedrock and its homeowners along the home ownership journey.”

Bedrock is a long-standing member with The Alberta New Home Warranty Program.

“I think it’s a great program,” says Box. “We have an inhouse warranty team that takes care of some of the items. However, when homeowners see The Alberta New Home Warranty Program are a third party and have that unbiased relationship with builder and homeowner, I think that is very reassuring. There is that added security.

“A new home is such a large purchase in your life and you want to make sure that it is the right purchase for you and having The Program stand behind the house and be there as support, I think it is very valuable,” she adds.