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TORONTO — During the recent Building Industry and Land Development Association’s (BILD) annual awards, Howard Sokolowski, founder and CEO of Metropia, was presented with a special honour.

He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award for dedicating his career to advancing the development industry.

“The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honour presented to a BILD member,” said Dave Wilkes, president and CEO of BILD, in a statement. “Presenting this award to Mr. Howard Sokolowski is a true privilege. His vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment have left a lasting impact not only on our industry, but on the communities he has helped shape. We thank Howard for his decades of support to BILD, his contributions to the development industry, and his dedication to building stronger, more vibrant communities across the GTA and Canada.”

Sokolowski began his career as CEO and co-founder of Tribute Communities, where he helped deliver over 30,000 homes, states a release. He later founded Metropia, a full-service developer known for building master-planned communities.

Metropia has developed more than 14,000 residential units across 22 communities, encompassing over 13 million square feet of residential, retail and corporate space.

In addition to the lifetime achievement award, BILD also recognized excellence in the design, construction, marketing and sales of new homes in the Greater Toronto Area.

The association presented 50 awards in the categories of architecture, design, marketing, people and sales, and in the prestigious project and builder categories. A group of 51 judges from across North America determined the winners from over 700 submitted entries, the release notes.

The Daniels Corporation was named Home Builder of the Year, Mid/High-Rise, while Great Gulf received the title of Home Builder of the Year, Low-Rise. The Home Builder of the Year categories recognize builders who set the standard for the rest of the industry through their professionalism and dedication to excellence.

Winners in the top project and builder categories include:

• Green Builder of the Year, Low-Rise – Great Gulf
• Green Builder of the Year, Mid/High-Rise – Tridel
• Angelo DelZotto Fearless Innovator Award – Assembly Corp.
• lgnat Kaneff Inspiration Award – Sam Condo, Weston Flooring Ltd.
• Riley Brethour Leadership Award – Adrian Rocca, Fitzrovia
• Stephen Dupuis CSR Award – Fitzrovia
• Best Overall Marketing Campaign – Equiton Developments – MAXIUM at 875 The Queensway – The Community, kg&a, Qoo Studio Inc., Patton Design Studio
• Best Advertising Campaign, Paid Media – Fitzrovia – Sloane By Fitzrovia – PUREBLINK, Qoo Studio Inc.
• Best Mid-Rise Building Design – Equiton Developments – MAXIUM at 875 The Queensway – Patton Design Studio
• Best High-Rise Building Design – Devron Developments – 101 Spadina – Gladstone Media, II BY IV DESIGN, RDS
• Best Community, Built – Fitzrovia – Elm-Ledbury – PUREBLINK, Qoo Studio Inc.
• Best Purpose-Built Rental – The Rose Corporation – The Bakerfield II – RAW Design, BGO
• Project of the Year, Low-Rise – Arista Homes & Great Gulf – OAKPOINTE in Upper Joshua Creek – 1063 Guidelines, Hunt Design Associates, Qoo Studio Inc.
• Project of the Year, Mid/High-Rise – North Drive Investments – One Roxborough West
• Best New Community, Planned/Under Development – ARGO Development Corporation – Caledon Station – GSAI (Glen Schnarr & Associates Inc.)

In addition, Brixen Developments’ Exhale Residences designed by Architecture Unfolded received the People’s Choice Award, which is voted by the public.

For a full list of BILD awards winners, visit.