BUILDERS, REMODELERS, DEVELOPERS HONORED AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE

States News Service

The following information was released by the National Association of Home Builders:

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) last night honored 17 building industry professionals from across their country for excellence and innovation in green home building at the 10th Annual NAHB National Green Building Conference in New Orleans.

"These honorees are pioneers, artists and building scientists," said NAHB President Sandy Dunn, a home builder from Point Pleasant, W. Va. "They've worked hard to bring sustainable building practices into the mainstream. These winners are not afraid to put great ideas in motion."

Outstanding projects included:

SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES OF THE YEAR

- Production Home: Imagine Homes, San Antonio, Texas

- Custom Home: Chaffey Homes, Kirkland, Wash.

- Affordable Home: Green Builders Inc., Austin, Texas

- Concept Home: Torti Gallas and Partners, Omaha, Neb.

- Remodeled Home: Absolute Remodeling, South Salem, N.Y.

DEVELOPMENTS OF THE YEAR

- Blue Vista, Thistle Community Housing, Boulder, Colo.

- Del Sur, Black Mountain Ranch LLC, San Diego

- Hidden Lake, Crescent Communities, Raleigh, N.C.

- Legacy Lofts, Legacy Development Corporation, Louisville, Ky.

LOCAL GREEN HOME BUILDING PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

- EarthCraft House, Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association

- Green Built North Texas, Greater Dallas Home Builders

ADVOCATES OF THE YEAR

- Research: Lancaster County (Pa.) Career and Technology Center

- Group: The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association

- Developer: Bruce Boncke, Boncke Mueller Eldred Associates, Fairport, N.Y.

- Multifamily: Miles Haber, Monument Construction, Chevy Chase, Md.

- Remodeler: Michael Strong, Brothers Strong Residential Design-Build, Houston

- Builder: Lee Kitson, Lee Kitson Homes, Grand Rapids, Mich.

More than 200 members of the home building industry, honorees' family members and other guests attended the awards dinner, which had a tongue-in-cheek "green tie optional" dress code. Master of Ceremonies was Ron Jones, co-founder of Green Builder Media and the 2006 Builder Advocate of the Year award winner.