Taking home top awards

• Building Industry Association of Hawaii award winners
• How to find a good licensed contractor

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

CO-HA Builders Inc., which built this luxurious Honolulu home, was among 22 winners of the 18th annual Renaissance Building & Remodeling Awards. Bright Light Marketing Group photos

Canaan Construction Ltd. transformed a modest master bedroom and bathroom suite in East Honolulu into a cozy retreat.

Don Horner worked closely with his contractor to maximize every inch of the 500-square-foot suite, adding a walk-in closet with built-in dressers, a fold-down ironing board and laundry chute, a separate toilet room and corner lounging area in the master bedroom.

"We made a comfortable space for (my wife)," said Horner, president of First Hawaiian Bank. "This is the first time we really designed a master bedroom that she wanted, so it was a fun project, and she's extremely happy with it."

The retreat was among 22 statewide winners of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii's 18th annual Renaissance Building & Remodeling Awards, which honor quality construction and design in remodeling and new construction projects.

CO-HA Builders Inc. in Kalihi constructed another winner — a palatial home in the new residential (more than $1 million) category. The 10,042-square-foot Honolulu home, with four bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms, won over judges with its attractive interior finish materials, including the flooring, wall details and windows, said Suzanne Watkins, one of the seven judges and owner of Elements: Earth Friendly Interior Design in Honolulu.

"There's a beautiful, sweeping staircase ... and the space planning took advantage of the view," said Watkins, who is also the incoming president of the American Society of Interior Designers-Hawai'i Chapter.

Canaan Construction Ltd., the Honolulu company responsible for the Horner project, was an overall grand award winner in the residential remodeling category. The company is known for its lifetime warranty on new home construction projects.

"We feel very, very strongly that a new home should not be a five-year project or a disposal project," said company CEO Ray Suiter. "It should really be a lifetime project."

John Cook Kitchens in Honolulu received the most awards, three grand awards, for remodeling projects in Mililani and Honolulu.

One of their projects involved the transformation of a 670-square-foot kitchen, family room and office area of a Mililani home.

Company president Mark Olson and certified kitchen designer Shelley Tanner created a larger living space by removing a dividing wall between the family room and kitchen, and moving an interior wall between the office and kitchen about two feet to make the kitchen larger. They also upgraded the kitchen with new counters and cabinetry.

"We made the kitchen more of a social gathering place, because the customers didn't have a place to entertain guests," Olson said. "We changed the configuration so that there is now an eating bar on the island as opposed to just a functional island."

Entries were judged on aesthetic appeal, functional value, use of materials, cost effectiveness and the successful integration of new work into the existing structure.

"The level of the competition every year tops the other as far as the excellence of the entrants," said Marshall Hickox, event chairman.

Building Industry Association of Hawaii award winners

The following are the BIA 18th Annual Renaissance Building & Remodeling Awards winners:

Overall Grand Award Winners

• Residential Remodeling ($75,001 to $200,000): Canaan Construction Ltd. for the Horner home, Honolulu.
• Commercial Remodeling (under 5,000 square feet): Dave Foster Builders Inc./Stan Hesse AIA for Wynn H. Okuda, DMD Inc.-Dental Day Spa, Honolulu.
• New Residential (more than $1 million): CO-HA Builders Inc. for the MacInnes home, Honolulu.
• New Commercial (7,500 to 15,000 square feet): Group 70 International Inc. for the Hanauma Bay Marine Education Center.

Carl Reppun Award Winner

• New Residential ($250,001 to $500,000): Jim Byxbee/Homeworks Construction Inc. for the Allen home, Kahala Kua.

Grand Award Winners

• Details: CO-HA Builders Inc., dba Applied Surfacing Technology for Kea'au High School-Fourth Increment running track.
• Historical: Alan Shintani Inc. for Major Repairs Quarters A, Hale Ali'i, Pearl Harbor.
• Residential Landscaping: Landscapes by Tropical Images Inc. for Laule'a (Place of Happiness), Kapolei.
• Kitchen & Bath (up to $50,000): John Cook Kitchens — president Mark Olson and certified kitchen designer (CKD) Shelley Tanner — for the Arafiles home, bath, Honolulu.
• Kitchen & Bath (more than $50,000): John Cook Kitchens — Olson and Tanner — for the Arafiles home, kitchen.
• Kitchen & Bath (more than $50,000): Roxanne Okazaki, CKD, and David Okazaki, CKD, for Hale Kahala, kitchen, Honolulu.
• Residential Remodeling (up to $75,000): Royal-Clark Development Company for Kaopa Park Place, Kailua.
• Residential Remodeling ($75,001 to $200,000): John Cook Kitchens — Olson and Tanner — for the Jensen home, Mililani.
• Residential Remodeling (more than $200,000): Fritz Johnson Architect Inc./Jeff D. Daniel General Contractor Inc. for Diamond Head Apartment Remodel.
• New Residential ($250,001 to $500,000): Linnea G. Brooks, Brooks & Brooks Inc./George Christensen for Nu'uanu Valley-Hale Kipa (House of Hospitality), Honolulu.
• New Residential ($500,000 to $1 million): Philip K. White & Associates for Hale Wai'olu, Kahala.
• New Residential (More than $1 million): Long & Associates, AIA Inc. for Waiholo home, Honolulu.
• Commercial Remodeling (under 5,000 square feet): Clever Construction Inc. for Kolea Discovery Center, Kohala Coast, Big Island.
• Commercial Remodeling (more than 15,000 square feet): Joseph Farrell, AIA, Principal Architects Hawaii Ltd. for Turtle Bay Resort Renovations, Kahuku.
• New Commercial (under 5,000 square feet): James Tucker Associates Inc./Dave Foster Builders Inc. for Dolphin Galleries, Wailea, Maui.
• New Commercial (5,000 to 7,500 square feet): CC Engineering & Construction Inc./Alex Construction Inc. for David L. Thompson Hall, Coast Guard Air Station, Barbers Point.
• New Commercial (more than 15,000 square feet): Dick Pacific Construction/Architects Hawaii Ltd. for Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club, Phase I, Kapolei.

How to find a good licensed contractor

Seeking the professional help of a licensed contractor before starting a construction project can help consumers save a lot of time and headaches that can come with not planning a remodeling project from the beginning. Here are tips on how to hire a contractor:

• Ask friends, neighbors and co-workers for contractor referrals. Contact the BIA of Hawaii for the names of members in your area.
• Ask the contractor for references from customers who have projects similar to yours. Call and ask if they would hire the same contractor again.
• Get written estimates from several firms. Make sure bids are based on identical project specifications.
• Get all guarantees, warranties and promises in writing. Agree on start and completion dates, and have them written into the contract.
• Is the contractor licensed in Hawai'i? Call the Contractors License Board to confirm at 586-3000.
• Do you feel comfortable with the contractor? Remember, you will be in close contact with him and will share your house with his crew until the project is completed.