| MARCH
12, 2007
Renaissance Homes 3,800 square foot
design center was unanimous choice for best design center
in the country at The Nationals Sales and Marketing
Awards, the largest such competition for homebuilders
in the US, produced for the National Sales and Marketing
council of the National Association of Homebuilders.
Renaissance Homes President Randy Sebastian
picked up the gold award for Best Design Center, as
well as a silver award for Best Marketing Campaign for
a Green Built Project at the recent National Home Builders
Association convention in Florida.
Finished in late 2005, Renaissance’
design center is located in the South Lake Shopping
Center at the confluence of SW Boones Ferry Rd. and
I-5 in Lake Oswego. It was the result of a week-long
research trip to “some of the most impressive
US builder design centers” by Sebastian and his
design center management staff, he said.
“We saw the best in the business
and set out to do it better. Apparently, it worked.
This is the result of work by a lot of people, including
many of our subcontractors and suppliers who contributed
to the center,” said Sebastian.
The design center entries “included
some pretty nice design centers. But, right away you
could see it (Renaissance’s entry) was clearly
the most professionally done. It just jumped out right
out at you and all the judges had it in first place,”
said Peter Mayer of Peter Mayer Productions, Inc., which
produces the annual awards competition and used to produce
a similar program, the MAME awards, for the Homebuilders
Association of Metropolitan Portland.
The Renaissance design center, which
is used by buyers of the firm’s homes, features
three complete model kitchens; separate rooms displaying
slab granite and cabinetry; a complete master bath spa
vignette; lighting alternatives; a display room of interior
millwork featuring doors, molding trims and staircase
options; the firm’s “Living Green”
systems, and a showcase of Kohler bath faucets and fixtures.
There are over 15 hardwood floors on
display as well as a selection room of the industry’s
latest in carpeting and tiling choices.
Rennaissance is one of the only Portland
builders to offer buyers and potential buyers a preview
night at the center to give them additional preparation
time for the large number of decisions which go with
Renaissance homes most of which don’t come with
a choice of pre-chosen design packages.
“Our homeowners can visualize
their new home’s interior because they can actually
see the available choices laid out in a manner that
makes it easy to personalize and imprint their lifestyle,”
said Jean Johnson, design center manager.
Front door options are showcased in a pull out display
and there’s even a real laundry room “which
shows that laundry rooms don’t have to be boring.
They can be fun and colorful,” said Heather Donnelly,
Renaissance director of design and merchandising. .
An exterior house wall display shows Hardiplank siding,
an exterior window, actual roofing and stone options–all
full sized for added impact. Actual paint choices are
displayed on large sized samples to make the selection
process easier.
Rennaissance is one of the only Portland
builders to offer buyers and potential buyers a preview
night at the center to give them additional preparation
time for the large number of decisions which go with
Renaissance homes most of which don’t come with
a choice of pre-chosen design packages.
This year’s awards, which had
54 categories, drew 1,500 entries, including 18 in the
Best Design Center category.
Renaissance’ Green Building Marketing
award was for the firm’s advertising, public relations,
point of sale material and model home displays of the
firm’s Living Green program. Renaissance Homes
was the area’s first major builder to commit to
100 percent “green” building and the first
to have a full-time Director of Building Science to
oversee and improve that program.
Sebastian credited his Sales and Marketing Vice President
Kim Whitman and advertising and public relations agency
White Wykoff & Co. for their contributions to the
award.
Last year, Renaissance sold 301 homes,
making it one of the largest residential builders in
the metropolitan area. It recently set a sales record,
selling 48 homes in February, and currently has neighborhoods
underway in West Linn, Forest Grove, Bend, Sherwood,
Happy Valley, Wilsonville, Beaverton, Vancouver, Camas,
southwest Portland and on the Oregon Golf Association
golf course at Tukwila.
Renaissance Homes
16771 Boones Ferry Road
Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035
Voice: 503-636-5600
Fax: 503-635-8400
Emergency Service: 503-496-0711 or 866-567-6225
|