Patrick Shaver
Avillia Development started as a dream in the basement office of Patrick Shaver and his wife, Eleni, in 2005. By then, Patrick had amassed the experience, expertise, and passion to start his own privately owned and operated land development company, dedicated to building communities that people could truly call home.
That passion continues to this day, as Avillia continues to expand in all areas, from developing land to now building a hotel, a multifamily property, and commercial projects. Their existing projects can be found throughout the Edmonton Capital region including Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Beaumont, and Spruce Grove, as well as in the Okanagan area of B.C. Their Salisbury Village community in Sherwood Park, Alberta, won Best New Neighborhood of the Year in 2019, a reflection of the technical expertise and graceful designs achieved by Avillia.
Starting out when he was only 16, Patrick has been involved in the construction and development industry in some capacity for over 35 years. After University, he worked for engineering consulting firms and the Transportation Planning Branch of the City of Edmonton before moving on to Enbridge Pipelines as a strategic planner. One of his most exciting roles was being project manager of the Aquatic Centre for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, where he was in charge of upgrading the facility to meet the high Olympic standards, then managing the pool during the Games.
Today, back in Canada, Patrick leads Avillia as president while also spending a lot of time supporting his community. He has volunteered for various industry organizations, including chair of the Urban Development Institute of Edmonton, chair of UDI Alberta, and chair of BILD Alberta, where he was a key contributor to the creation of the organization. Patrick has also been on the board of the Canadian Home Builders Association, participates in other local and regional organizations, and has coached a number of community youth sport teams. Because of his industry and volunteer work, Patrick was recently awarded the Queen’s 75th Anniversary Jubilee Medal.
True to form, Patrick was excited to share with us Avillia’s latest projects and how they’re establishing communities.
What is Avillia up to these days?
We are currently servicing a number of land projects, which we have obtained approvals for recently. Most of the land we are developing is for residential use, so houses, townhouses, and multifamily sites make up most of what we are bringing to market, but we also service land for commercial and industrial development. Right now, we are in the design stages for a hotel on Lake Okanagan, which will have approximately 140 rooms and conference space. We are also developing Salisbury Village East, which is a raw land parcel adjacent to our award-winning community, Salisbury Village. This will be a mixed-use development that integrates with the surrounding natural environment. We work with people to understand what the needs of a community are, and we like to push the limits and look for new and better ways of doing things. We also embrace technology and innovation and are always looking for ways to improve on our last projects.
Tell us more about the integration of natural elements in your designs.
It doesn’t matter what or where we’re developing. We try to develop a community. That means adding in things like walking trails and natural features and amenities for people to enjoy. We incorporate trees and wetlands, as well as parks and playgrounds, and do interpretive signage and viewing areas so that people can take in and appreciate nature. As much as people live inside their homes, they want to get outside.
How does Avillia distinguish itself as a builder of community, not just another developer?
We are a local, privately owned company, and we’re small, with just 10 team members. It’s important for us to ensure people, including us, enjoy our neighbourhoods, so we want to develop and deliver livable, comfortable, and safe communities. Our motto is, “We would be happy to live in any of the areas we develop,” so we really strive to create a pleasant, welcoming environment and atmosphere for those who live or visit there. The Avillia team is comprised of great people, all of whom have an inspiring vision for the company. We are diverse in our backgrounds, but we have significant experience in all aspects of land development, from planning to technical elements, sales, marketing, and financing. As a company, we put family first and want our staff to do the same, so we try to provide a lot of flexibility within the office. In general, we are a very open and caring company.
Patrick Shaver
President & Co-Founder — Avillia Development
Website: https://avillia.com/who-we-are
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-shaver-2596551b/