Livable Communities Award Call for Entries

Washington, D.C. — AARP and the National Association of Home Builders announced a call for entries for the fourth annual Livable Communities Awards today. The awards recognize architects, builders, developers, and remodelers who make residential living more comfortable for people of all ages and abilities.

The projects should represent a forward-thinking combination of style, universal design, and energy efficiency to make homes and developments that improve the daily comfort, ease of use, and safety for the people who live in them.

All AARP and NAHB Livable Communities Awards entries will be evaluated based on how well they adhere to principles such as: 

• design elements that accommodate the needs of all residents with all levels of physical ability from children through grandparents;
• easy access to community services and features such as retail, restaurants, medical, social and cultural activities, as well as viable transportation options;
• improved energy efficiency and enhanced site design; and
• better communication with key stakeholders

More specifically, builders will be judged based on the use of universal design elements in the home; energy efficiency and ease of use; and exterior design and landscaping. Remodelers will also be judged on the home’s universal design elements, energy efficiency, and ease of use in addition to the home’s ability to meet client needs. Developers will be evaluated according to the project’s livable community features; site design; and stakeholder cooperation and involvement. Architects’ projects will be categorized as Community Design or Home Design. Community Designs will be judged on incorporation of livable communities features and site design. Home Designs will be evaluated the same as builders. Sponsors will declare winners for both a large project and a small project in each category, and cost will determine remodelers’ categories. For complete judging criteria, please visit www.nahb.org/livablecommunities.

A panel of expert judges appointed by NAHB and AARP will review the applications and select the finalists.

Applications for the 2010 Livable Communities Awards are due Friday, July 16, 2010 and must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. For more information on the awards or to apply online, please visit www.nahb.org/livablecommunities.

Winning entries will be publicly recognized and announced at an awards program at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Florida in January 2011.

For information on the 2009 winning projects, including videos, visit www.aarp.org/homedesign.

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AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.7 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 175,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. Known as “the voice of the housing industry,” NAHB is affiliated with more than 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB’s builder members will construct 80 percent of the new homes built in 2010, making housing one of the largest engines of economic growth in the country.

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