
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
2007 Room of the Year: Boat Builder’s Refuge
The design of this sumptuous billiards room and retreat on Daniel Island, South Carolina was...
1994 Best Community Design Under 150 Units: Flora’s Bluff
Reminiscent of family enclaves found in seaside villages at the turn of the century, Flora’s...
2019 WOW Award: Ahana
View more images in the gallery. Photography by Nic Lehoux Photography Architect/Designer | Solomon Cordwell BuenzBuilder...
2016 Community of the Year: Heritage Sands
Heritage Sands is Cape Cod’s first new oceanfront cottage community in more than 50 years....
1993 Grand Award Single-Family Attached: Corte Melina
Buyers at Corte Melina, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA need not wonder if they’ve secured a...
2010 Home of the Year: Fresno One at the Pinehills
Located within Plymouth, Massachusetts, this design concept is new to the region, introducing seamless indoor/outdoor...
2015 Multifamily Community of the Year: Monroe Street Market
This transformative use of The Catholic University of America’s South Campus fulfills a market need,...
Home of the Year 2013: American Craftsman
The Mission Hills community is one of the oldest and best architecturally preserved neighbors in...