83 / 86
“In Vancouver, you have days
where the temperature drops
10 degrees,” Abo explains. “You
have days where the north side
of the building is at least 10 de-
grees hotter or cooler than the
south side of the building be-
cause of the sun. One day you
might have to wear a jacket, the
next you wear a t-shirt. That’s
why we think it’s important to
give residents the option to
heat their homes in the sum-
mer or cool them in the winter.”
“That’s an expensive system,
but it was the right system for
the experience and benefit of
the users,” he adds. “Their ex-
perience is what we think of
first. That’s what quality is all
about.”
Denna Homes also provided
quality by making the choice
to triple-glaze their windows,
which is above and beyond the
traditional Vancouver standard
of double-glazing. Abo esti-
mates that choice has saved
residents up to 15 to 20 per
cent on energy costs, in addi-
tion to providing other benefits,
such as reducing noise.
Furthermore, at the Compass
tower, Denna Homes success-
fully experimented with smart
glass tinting technology, which
shield residents from the sun
without having them resort to
using blinds or curtains. They
intend to utilize the same tech-
nology on their final tower.
As a result of forward-think-
ing features like those, Denna
Homes has consistently earned
the satisfaction of their buyers.
Abo can attest to that person-
ally. He lives in one of the tow-
ers himself, so he interacts with
residents frequently, and he
says that all the reviews he re-
ceives are glowing.
“Every time I get into an eleva-
tor, somebody tells me ‘Thank
you,’” he says. “That’s a great
feeling. I’m even more proud of
that than the awards.”
Further evidence of client sat-
isfaction is the fact that 20 of
the people who bought into the
first tower went on to buy into
the second.
“We’re very proud of that, too,”
Abo says. “That shows that
they’re happy with the quality,
and they are happy with the val-
ue we provide.”
Abo’s choice to live in his own
building also “speaks real vol-
umes,” he says – especially be-
cause he’s not the only one,
as half of the office personally
lives in Seylynn Village. Many
of their consultants also pur-
chased units.
“I’ve been in this business a long
time, and I can’t say that I know
of any other developers where
half their team chooses to live
in their building,” he says.
BUSINESS WORLD MAGAZINE