For the past four decades, NAHB’s Best in American Living Awards (BALA) have celebrated the value and importance of good home and community design.
Over the next several months, BALA will celebrate its significant 40-year milestone by showcasing memorable trends and award-winning projects, as well as celebrating its esteemed BALA Hall of Fame inductees who helped set the stage for today’s design creativity and innovation.
Although trends and best practices in home design have evolved through the years, NAHB’s commitment to driving innovation and improving the places where we live, work and play remains steadfast. NAHB is proud to once again recognize and honor the architects, builders and designers who have become part of the BALA community and made their mark in defining excellence in residential design.
Join us on our journey into the past, and celebrate the evolution of design!
40th Anniversary
1984 Prizewinner: Bridgeporte
Streamlined and bold, this 1,538-square-foot prizewinner in Chandler, AZ reflects the trend toward updating tried-and-true...
1984 Prizewinner: Cambridge West
Unabashedly old-fashioned, this two-story farmhouse in Mundelein, IL makes no apologies for its Victorian heritage. ...
1984 Prizewinner: Distinctively Old World: Villa D’Este
Entered through a private, angled courtyard, this 2,102-square-foot house in Deerfield Beach, FL is rich...
1984 Prizewinner: Updated Southwest: Mission Monterey
Warmly reminiscent of old New Mexico, this updated stucco one-story in Scottsdale, AZ proves again...
1984 Prizewinner: Westwood
Energy-smart and creatively designed, this 1,598-suare-foot home in Indianapolis, IN costs as little as $217...
1984 Prizewinner: New-Look New England: Sea Cliff
Proof positive that smaller is smarter, this 1,182-square-foot house in Carlsbad, CA has more going...
1984 Prizewinner: Spanish Stucco: Mission Monterey
Capitalizing on the architectural heritage of the Southwest, this 1,893-square-foot stucco ranch in Scottsdale, AZ...
BALA at 40: Honoring the First Winners
All homes start with good design. And it touches every facet of home building —...