Designing a custom home in less than a year from concept to completion is no small task. Building it in less than 6 months is unheard of. Factor in life in 2021, with supply shortages, delivery delays, limited in-person meetings and walk throughs, and that timeframe sounds absolutely ridiculous. But the team for this year’s premier NAHB show home accepted the challenge and surpassed even their own high expectations.
The New American Home™ 2022, featured at NAHB’s International Builder’s Show, is designed to impress throngs of building and design industry professionals who want a first-hand glimpse at the future of home design. BSB Design is honored to be the lead architect on this year’s home. As our fourth time leading the architectural design for TNAH, our team proposed a unique approach. In recent years, The New American Home™ has showcased expansive square footage in one-of-a-kind custom designs on premium lots. The homes are stunning but are likely unattainable for most of the industry professionals who tour them during IBS.
In 2021, with lumber and land prices increasing and less land available, BSB Design set out to create a more attainable version of TNAH that can be reproduced in a variety of locations with a few small tweaks. To illustrate this flexibility, the team selected a typical narrow lot in a production / semi-custom development. Working within these lot constraints allowed the design team to push their creativity in order to design something worthy of TNAH show home prominence while remaining more attainable to a wider group of potential buyers.
“The design was centered around the idea of staying inside the box with strong indoor-outdoor connection throughout the whole home, rather than just the main living areas” said Ed Binkley, Design Director from our Tampa office and the lead architect for this year’s home. The private courtyard is strategically placed central to the design, allowing all the primary rooms, including an immaculate home gym, to open inward toward the courtyard. There’s also a rooftop deck, bar and grilling station that frame the space. From every angle of the interior, the design connects visually and physically to the courtyard, generating terrific natural light and fresh air.
The second priority was designing the floorplan for how we will live tomorrow. Studies show that remote working is here to stay, whether it’s full time or a hybrid schedule. The casual lifestyle of the plan is ideal for increased time at home, offering connectivity with flexible privacy. Pocket-sized work areas allow the “working” mind to stay separate from the “home” mind, even though it’s all under the same roof. Full-time remote workers with appreciate the flexibility of this environment, especially when they are adjacent to the light and air of the courtyard. This outdoor connection enhances alertness and focus – even when the couch is calling only steps away.
Binkley noted that, “Given all of the challenges we had to overcome, we needed a strong team of vendors with the ability to adapt to meet tight deadlines. We had to get creative and sometimes change directions – but that’s what really led to the success of the design.”
Stay tuned for future posts, where we will take a room by room look at this innovative design. The New American Home™ 2022 lives up to its showcase potential, featuring some of the most ground-breaking construction products, appliances, technology and finishes available in the market today. But at its heart, the home offers a glimpse of how great design can work at any price point.
