Pug Awards recognize Stephenson projects in top two spots the first award went to the 500 Wellington West condominiums the second to the 650 King West Condominiums. These to projects ranked first and second in the people’s choice award.Stephenson Engineering Ltd. is proud to announce it was a key part of two projects recently named Toronto’s Best Residential Buildings of 2013 by citizens of Toronto in the ninth annual Pug Awards. The awards are a people’s choice ranking of the city’s newest real estate developments.

Taking the top spot in the competition was 500 Wellington West, a Freed Developments-designed residential building in downtown Toronto’s west end featuring the work of Stephenson’s structural engineering team. This represents the first time a building in the residential category garnered more votes than a structure in the commercial/institutional category.

“This marks a significant milestone in Toronto’s building boom,” Gary Berman, co-founder of the Pug Awards, said in a release. “The development community should pay close attention to 500 Wellington West, as voters’ overwhelming approval surely offers lessons for what the public believes is desirable architecture for a condominium building.”

Coming in second place was 650 King West Condominiums, another Freed-developed project featuring Stephenson’s engineering work. The development features rainwater collection, motion-sensitive lighting, tinted glass and low-emission flooring and paints.

“We are proud to be associated with these winning projects, and congratulate Freed Developments for spearheading two innovative and well-received residential buildings,” notes Saundra Cukken, a Principal at Stephenson Engineering.

Stephenson Engineering also worked with Sweeny Sterling Finlayson &Co on midtown Toronto’s 83 Redpath, the first-place winner of the 2012 Pug Awards in the residential category.

Every year the Pug Awards invite Torontonians from across the city to cast votes for what they think are the best and worst new buildings. This year’s field included 43 residential and commercial/institutional nominees, and voting took place online between April 30th and May 31st at pugawards.com with the results announced at the end of June.

To be eligible for a Pug Award nomination, developments must have been completed in 2012, be located within the City of Toronto and consist of an area of 50,000 square feet or greater or be considered noteworthy by the Pug Awards Executive Committee and Advisory Board.