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
2000 Home of the Year: Johnson Street Townhomes
The first-ever townhome to receive this honor, this project is located in the Pearl neighborhood...
2003 Home of the Year: Beachside Bliss
Surrounded by old, bent trees with lots of character, this custom home on Hilton Head...
2000 Platinum Winner Smart Growth Community: Hidden Springs
Located on 1844 acres outside of Boise, Idaho, Hidden Springs is a new 1135-home community...
1996 Home of the Year: Scottsdale Custom Home
The 1996 Home of the Year consists of a 5500-square foot residence and an 800-square...
Home Improvement in the 1990’s
This visual is from the December 16, 1996, edition of Nation’s Building News, NAHB’s official...
2018 Home of the Year: Outside In
Positioned near the base of iconic Camelback Mountain, in Paradise Valley, AZ, Outside In is...
A Builder Checklist, 1999
I’ve been a member of NAHB’s design committee for a few years. This year, as...
7 Design Lessons from the 1997 BALA Awards
Excerpted from 7 Lessons from BALA, originally published in the January 1998 edition of Professional...