2014 Boffo company profile

Creative, innovative and committed to setting new standards, there’s nothing the Boffo team enjoys more than taking on a new challenge. After 41 years of delivering more than 4,000 homes throughout Metro Vancouver, they’re proud to be known as leaders in the development industry — an award-winning company with vision and a deep-rooted passion for what they do.
Karen West, sales and marketing director, says it’s the company’s commitment to providing exquisitely appointed, larger homes that makes Boffo stand out among the competition. “Rather than attempt to appeal to as many people as possible, we focus on the property-savvy purchaser who knows exactly what they want and has no intention of compromising on quality or luxury. We obsess about every last detail to create homes that are just what we’d build for ourselves.”
The results are impressive. Karen notes resales tend to be infrequent in a Boffo building, and more than one has a waiting list of hopeful buyers ready to jump at the first opportunity. “We often hear people say that even years after they’ve moved in, they still love their home every bit as much as the day they took possession.”

Boffo’s list of accolades is substantial and includes recognition at the municipal, provincial, and national levels. But it’s the appropriately named “Jewel” residences in Metrotown that’s the project Karen is particularly proud of. In addition to taking home gold in the Best Highrise category at both the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association Ovation Awards and the National SAM Awards, Jewel was a three-time  finalist in the provincial Georgie Awards and received a UDI Award of Excellence for Best Suburban Highrise.
“Winning a UDI award was a great honour for Boffo,” Karen says. “ These awards are judged by a panel of industry experts who visit each site with the developer in order to understand the building particulars in greater detail. To my knowledge, this is the only awards organization that goes to this length, so these awards are particularly exclusive.”

PART OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Last year, after 30 years in the same Burnaby office, Boffo moved one block farther west on Hastings and took the concept of being “one of the neighbours” up a notch.  The new corporate headquarters are located on the second level of Firma, a mixed-use building that’s been turning heads since the design was  first revealed.
“Firma has become an iconic building that’s well known by anyone who travels along the Hastings Corridor and is a favourite among coffee aficionados for its award-winning Caffé Divano,” Karen says. “The beauty of the exterior  finishing and details has already truly set Firma apart. I believe in 20 years, there will simply not be another building in the Lower Mainland that will stand as proudly as Firma.”

LOOK TO THE FUTURE
Coming in 2014, there’s plenty on Boffo’s horizon. The second phase of Adagio is almost underway with homeowners already moved into the  first building. This 100-suite, lowrise condominium project marks Boffo’s much anticipated return to South Surrey after Sereno took home a gold Georgie Award for BC’s Best Townhouse Community. “People appreciate the quality and long term value they’ve found here,” Karen says.
Nearing completion at Hornby and Helmcken, Artemisia is Boffo’s debut into the downtown Vancouver market. Already creating a buzz among city-savvy buyers on the quest for a one-of-a-kind home, this six-storey concrete and glass midrise features a complex interweaving of textures,  finishes, and styles. Hint: inlaid mosaic marble that at first glance could be mistaken for a Rococo-inspired carpet, intricate cornice work, exquisite interiors, plus a contemporary interpretation of cathedral architectural that appears to morph out of the building’s foundation of classic white carrara marble.

Boffo has more coming to downtown Vancouver too. “We’ll be launching a magnificent highrise at Smithe and Cambie within a year, and another Yaletown location at a later date. So stay tuned.”
In Burnaby, Karen says that Boffo’s recently launched Modello has set another benchmark for luxury condominium living. Buyers responded to the exceptional quality and within four months of opening, 50 per cent of its 165 homes were sold.

Located at Beresford and Willingdon, this 37-storey tower wowed purchasers with its exquisitely appointed homes and  five-star hotel-style amenities and geothermal heating and cooling. One early purchaser sums up her decision this way: “I saw the Jewel project just up the road. I should have bought right away, but I waited too long to make a decision. I’m definitely not missing out this time.”
“Modello also marks the gateway to the City of Burnaby’s new public Beresford’s Art Walk, so it will create a whole new focal point for the neighbourhood’s entire arts community,” Karen says, adding this will be Boffo’s sixth collaboration with Chris Dikeakos Architects. “The City has some really progressive things in store for the Metrotown/Central Park area — and we’re excited that Modello is and integral part of it.”
BUILT FOR REAL PEOPLE
“We build all our homes with the end user in mind — real people who want to live in and love their homes for many years,” Karen stresses. “At Boffo, our goal is to make the entire home purchasing experience, every brand interaction — from the first time a buyer walks into the sales centre to the day they get their keys — to be the best it can possibly be. It’s all part of being BC’s Boutique Home Builder.”
Source: 2014 Builder & Developer Annual