HAVAN Awards 2027 Photo Guide: Rules, File Naming and Deadline

Key dates and fees

Source: HAVAN 2027 Rules & Requirements.

The photo rules, in plain language

HAVAN states that photos that miss these specifications “will not be judged”, so this is the part worth getting exactly right.

• File: high-resolution JPG only, 300 dpi, 10 MB maximum per file. Vertical, horizontal or square are all fine.
• Colour only. No black-and-white images, layers, borders, frames or text on the picture.
• No people, not even blurred or computer-generated figures. The one exception is a renovation “before” photo where a person was unavoidable; they must be blurred and any company logo on their clothing removed.
• Anonymous images. No logos, signage, lawn signs, site flags or anything that identifies the builder. HAVAN calls out display TVs too. Identifying information anywhere in the entry disqualifies it. Removing signage or people in editing is allowed.
• Real spaces only. No renderings, photo collages, or AI-generated or virtual furniture and staging. “What is submitted must be available to be seen in-person.” Renderings are permitted only in Best Marketing Campaign.
• No manipulation. Images “may not be modified, enhanced or distorted”, apart from removing signage or people. Our reading: normal professional correction of exposure, colour and verticals is how every architectural photograph is finished, while sky swaps, added furniture or composited views fall outside the rule. If a specific edit is in doubt, ask HAVAN before you submit.
• Dusk is allowed, but judges must still be able to see the home’s details. A twilight exterior works best as one image among daylight ones.
• Photographer credit is mandatory, so HAVAN can share the images with media.

How many photos each category takes

Counts vary by category. These are the most common ones for builders and renovators, from HAVAN’s 2027 category criteria:

Kitchens, bathrooms, primary suites and other single-space categories generally take up to 10 photos. Development and community categories ask for specific exterior and streetscape shots. Read the criteria page for your exact category before the shoot: the required shots belong on the shot list, not discovered at upload. HAVAN also suggests mixing vertical and horizontal images, and using different images when the same project is entered in more than one category.

File naming: why the entry ID comes first

Every photo and plan is renamed on your computer before upload, using the entry’s unique 4-digit ID. That ID only exists once someone has started the entry on HAVAN’s AwardForce platform (Start Project, then Save + Next), so start each entry early, even before the photos are ready.

The pattern is category number _ entry ID _ display order, then _b or _a for before or after on renovations, and _Choice on the photo you want used in media if you become a finalist. HAVAN’s own example, a renovation (entry 5167) in Category 7:

• 7_5167_1_b_Choice.jpg: the chosen “before” photo
• 7_5167_3_a_Choice.jpg: the chosen “after” photo
• 7_5167_2_a.jpg, 7_5167_4_a.jpg, 7_5167_5_b.jpg: the rest
• Plans: 7_5167_before and 7_5167_after, in one PDF with no company names or logos

If you do not mark a Choice photo, HAVAN picks one for you. Renovation entries mark one before and one after.

How the judging affects the photos

HAVAN’s judges come from outside Metro Vancouver and see every entry anonymously: the photos, the 300-word description (400 for Grand awards), the plans and the budget. They score each category criterion out of 10, and HAVAN says each entry is judged on the submitted materials. That means:

• The photos have to carry each criterion. If a custom-home category scores exterior, interior use of space, energy efficiency and construction details, there should be an image that shows each one. HAVAN says the text “should correspond to submitted images.”
• Before and after from the same angle is HAVAN’s own suggestion for renovations: it lets a judge read the change at a glance.
• What is in the photo has to be in the budget. Anything shown, apart from decor, small appliances and furniture, must be included at fair market value. Do not stage a kitchen with an appliance package that is not part of the project.

A realistic timeline for January 12

Work back from the deadline, not forward from the shoot:

• Before demolition: photograph the “before” state for any renovation you might enter. These cannot be recreated later.
• November: choose categories, start each entry to get its ID, get the homeowner authorization signed, and book the shoot.
• By early December: shoot. With my standard turnaround, you have a gallery to choose from within 3 business days and final images 10 business days after you choose. The holidays sit inside that window.
• Early January: rename, upload and pay, ideally a few days before January 12. HAVAN advises drafting entries in a separate document first because “technical glitches can happen.”

Late projects can still make it: rush editing delivers final images within 5 business days of your selection.

One shoot, three award programmes

A project entered in HAVAN is often a candidate for the CHBA BC Georgie Awards and the CHBA National Awards too. HAVAN’s homeowner authorization form already covers all three programmes for the year, so one signature does the job. The image specs and file naming are not identical, though, so ask for the full-resolution master set once and export a copy to each programme’s rules.

How I photograph HAVAN entries

I’m an architectural and interior photographer based in Richmond, working across Metro Vancouver. For an awards entry, the brief is set by the category criteria:

• A shot list built from your categories, with an image for each criterion the judges score, the required exterior or streetscape, and the before angles to match.
• Real spaces, no virtual staging, and edits kept within HAVAN’s “no modification” rule.
• Files delivered at HAVAN’s spec: colour JPG, 300 dpi, under 10 MB. Send me the entry IDs and I’ll name them in HAVAN’s format, Choice photo included.
• A ready credit line: “Photography: Travis Zhang”.
• Published prices: CA$1,100 for a half day with 12 finished images, which covers most single categories, or CA$2,000 for a full day with 20 images including twilight, plus 5% GST. Your own marketing use is included with no time limit. Full details are in the cost guide.