WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 16, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Apartments with a bike maintenance shop? Apartments with an indoor-outdoor fitness area? Dog-friendly apartments with a dog wash and groom area and a rooftop “woof” deck? These and other unique features were found in this year’s 2014 Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Awards, which honor superior achievement in apartment and condominium development, design, marketing and management and are sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
“The Pillars awards offer us a great opportunity to show all the benefits of apartment and condo living available to today’s housing consumer,” said W. Dean Henry, CEO of Legacy Partners Residential in Foster City, Calif., and chairman of NAHB’s Multifamily Leadership Board. “This group of finalists brings to the forefront what’s new and exciting in residential construction.”
A panel of 10 multifamily development and design experts selected 61 finalists in 26 categories, including:
Best Garden Apartment Community (4 stories & under)
Best Example of Green Building Concepts
Best Lifestyle Programming
Best Corporate Web Site
Multifamily Development Firm of the Year
The industry experts who judged the competition found that many of the finalists in the mixed-use community category thoughtfully integrated the retail component into the overall site and also incorporated a substantial amenity package for the residents. Green and energy-efficient features and building practices continue to be popular amongst award finalists, including high-efficiency appliances, green roofs, locally sourced building materials and the recycling of construction waste.
The judges also found that many of the finalists incorporated unique features within the units, such as a gear wall to hang bikes and other gear without using floor space and innovative open floor plans with sliding walls. A number of properties also were able to successfully market to a variety of consumers from boomers to millennials, and everything in between.
To view the complete list of finalists, visit: nahb.org/2014pillarsfinalists. The winners will be announced at 2 p.m. (Eastern) Oct. 2, 2014, in an online presentation at nahb.org/multifamilypillarsawards and profiled in a series of features via exclusive media partners GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum.
