NAHB announces winners of its Best of 50+ Housing Awards, notes current 50+ homebuyers, renters are seeking more innovative homes, communities that include features, amenities that fit their lifestyle such as art studios, meditation rooms, libraries

Allison Oesterle

WASHINGTON , February 6, 2014 (press release) – The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 50+ Housing Council announced the winners of its 2014 Best of 50+ Housing Awards, which honor excellence and innovation in the design, development, lifestyle and marketing of housing for the mature market. The annual awards program, held during the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, showcases the latest trends in housing for that market sector.

“This year’s winners stepped up to the plate and supplied competitive and attractive projects for the 50+ market,” said Robert Karen, chairman of NAHB's 50+ Housing Council and managing member of the Symphony Development Group. “Today’s 50+ home buyers and renters are looking for homes and communities that are much more innovative, and incorporate features and amenities that fit their lifestyle. These winning projects do just that.”

Top honors went to NoHo Senior Arts Colony, North Hollywood, Calif., a rental community for residents aged 62 and older located in the NoHo Arts District—a diverse urban neighborhood with many small theaters, artists’ studios, and creative professionals. Of the infill community’s 126 one- and two-bedroom apartments, 80 percent rent at market rates, with the other 20 percent serving low-income residents. The community’s social spaces include an art studio, sculpture studio, art exhibit space, a 76-seat Performing arts theater that is shared with local professional theater groups, rehearsal spaces, a creative writing and read-aloud library, a computer media arts center, a yoga/meditation room, as well as more traditional community rooms.

Other honorees include Alta Verde Coral Mountain in La Quinta, Calif., which received a Gold award in the Best For-Sale Community (Up to 200 Homes) and an innovation award. The homes in this development are elementally modern, built at an economical cost per square foot. As examples, the front doors were constructed from commercial grade fiberglass, custom filled with lightweight concrete to survive the desert heat and provide security, acoustic value and overall weight and quality. These homes also have green elements, such as 2 kW solar panels, reflective cool flat roofs, tankless water heaters, low-E dual glazed windows and LED lighting, and are pre-wired for electric car chargers.

Moorings Park in Naples, Fla., won a Gold award for Best 50+ Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). Moorings Park, an already-successful CCRC, wished to enhance its current offerings with a new product, amenities and a lifestyle of wellness that would exceed the expectations of future residents. Four new buildings—three residential lifestyle apartment buildings and the Center for Healthy Living—now form a small “town square” and include the new upscale restaurant with casual, outdoor and fine dining options. Spacious independent living lifestyle apartments were designed to be completely customized by the owner. To encourage wellness dimensions beyond the physical, the Center also offers a meditation room, Zen garden, creative arts studio, and lecture space for visiting speakers.

There were 35 Gold award winners, 24 Silver award winners and three entries honored with awards for innovation. View the complete list of this year’s winners at www.nahb.org/50PlusAwardWinners. Images of winners and finalists are available upon request.

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