Wayne Chiu found success and fulfillment by putting Albertans first

In 1980, Wayne Chiu graduated from the University of Manitoba with a degree in mechanical engineering and returned home to Hong Kong to begin his professional career. By 1982, he was newly married and immigrating to Canada with his wife Eleanor.

The next four decades would be filled with hard work, wild success, countless acts of philanthropy and many well-deserved accolades—including Chiu being appointed to the Order of Canada in 2015.

This past summer, he was recognized by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce with a 2022 Distinguished Business Leader Award, for demonstrating ethical leadership.

Read more at ATB online.

If there’s one home designed to fit a specific lifestyle, it has to be the bungalow. This single-level, not always-single-family home type is a mainstay of the homebuilders’ repertoire and a perennial favourite, especially among the older generations. But today, you might be surprised at how many more variations of the bungalow there are that fit not just the senior lifestyle.

The bungalow is traditionally a single-storied house with a sloping roof. Encyclopedia Britannica says the name derives from a Hindi word meaning “a house in the Bengali style” and came into the English language during the era of the British administration of India.

Read more about bungalows at the New Home + Condo Guide online.

Living together is cultural, and it also helps control rent, inflation and daycare costs.

Calgary has seen a mini-boom in homes expressly built for multigenerational living, driven largely by the Indian community.

At first, these were concentrated in the new northeast communities of Cornerbrook and Homestead. But Trico Homes sales area manager Akshat Mathur says the demand is growing in the southeast community of Pine Creek as well.

Read more at CBC online.

Calgarians Robert Brawn, Elizabeth Cannon, Eleanor Chiu, Cheryl Foggo and Art Froehlich are being invested as new members

Five Calgarians and two Edmontonians are being honoured for their contributions to the province and community building by being invested into the Alberta Order of Excellence on Thursday.

The afternoon ceremony, hosted by Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani, will boost membership in the Alberta Order of Excellence to 204 since its creation in 1979. This is the highest honour the province offers its citizens.

Calgarians Robert Brawn, Elizabeth Cannon, Eleanor Chiu, Cheryl Foggo and Art Froehlich are being invested as new members.

Read more from the Calgary Sun here.

BILD Alberta recognizes top work in communities and homes.

Calgary-based Trico Homes earned accolades for its Concord single-family home model in the community of Ambleton, winning in the category of best single-family home $425,000 to $475,000 at the BILD Alberta Awards. Jessica Knight Coronado, Trico Homes’ sales associate in Ambleton, attributes the success of the Concord model to its versatility.

“There is no wasted space. It can be suited to so many different needs, and it is also a go-to for unique custom changes, as the kitchen layout lends many options. Plus, it has a very cosy and welcoming feel,” she says.

Read more at the Calgary Herald online.

There are very few corners of Calgary that Wayne and Eleanor Chiu have not had a remarkable impact on. Their company, Trico Homes, has built more than 11,000 houses over the past 30 years, and their philanthropic efforts have impacted nearly every post-secondary institution in the city. From the Chiu School of Business at Bow Valley College to the Trico Changemakers Studio at Mount Royal University to the Trico Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Centre at the University of Calgary – the influence they have had on their home city is vast and deep.

The hardworking couple, whose offices are located next to each other at Trico’s headquarters, are simply happy to be able to give back and provide an example for other immigrants to model.

“As immigrants and entrepreneurs, it’s important to us that we let other people of similar backgrounds know that if they work hard, they can accomplish the same things we have, or better,” says Eleanor. “We’re happy to show everyone who are immigrants that they can do it too.”

Read more at Business in Calgary.

Building a better business and doing well by doing good helps Trico Homes enjoy three decades of success

Marking its 30th anniversary in 2022, Trico Homes knows its commitment to “doing things right” has been the key to its continued success. Since its beginnings in 1992, Trico has built more than 11,000 single- and multi-family homes where residents of Calgary, Cochrane, Airdrie, Chestermere, Okotoks and DeWinton live, work and play.

“With every home we’ve built – with every relationship we’ve entered – we’ve learned,” says Trico Homes president Mike Brown. “We’ve applied the lessons and knowledge we’ve gained to develop a best practice, socially responsible approach that applies to all aspects of our business.”

Founded by mechanical engineer Wayne Chiu, his vision was to create a “different kind of homebuilding company,” that would bring positive change to its community.

“In those many years since Trico built its first home, our city has grown and so has our love for it,” says Brown. “Along the way, we’ve become one of Calgary’s top builders.”

Read more at Avenue Calgary.

What has room for two cars and a multitude of lifestyles? It’s not much of a riddle, as the answer can only be the double-attached front-drive garage home, or FDG home for short.

The FDG home is as ubiquitous as the suburbs they are generally found in. They are at the apex of the home-buying cycle. It is the home most everyone who has lived in an apartment suite, a duplex, or a townhome, aspire to live in eventually. Especially when they have children, and they see their families grow.

FDG homes come in many forms. In Calgary, they are usually two storey homes with three-bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, and a basement development options, and of course, a garage to fit two cars — or more.

They are the best fit for multi-generational households, and homebuilders have noticed a new trend of building a main floor bedroom with full bath for elderly parents of the homeowners. FDG homes with private access to basement suites have also become popular to realize the home’s potential for rental income.

Best of all is the convenience they offer as they are generally the largest of the traditional home types and have a higher level of finish, says Trico Homes area manager for Belmont, Will Jorgensen.

“They held their value better than any other home type during the downturn in 2020 immediately following COVID; there is a certain prestige to owning a front drive home among new homeowners,” he adds. “Many families moving up from apartments or rentals want to skip the intermediate laned/townhome stage and move right to front drive single family.”

Read more at NextHome.

Trico Homes’ show home in Midtown, Airdrie, showcases a comfortable and spacious family home.