Home and Community Design Honors for Dahlin Group
National Awards Bestowed at International Building Show
Pleasanton, Calif., Feb. 3, 2009 —Dahlin Group Architecture Planning announces three Best in American Living Awards (BALA) for achievement in new home design and community planning. The firm took two Grand Awards for Morgan Square, a Fremont, California infill project for SummerHill Homes, and was one of four national finalists for Best Community up to 150 homes, for Tyler’s Creek in Redmond, Washington, for CamWest.
BALA is co-sponsored by Professional Builder, a national trade publication of the homebuilding industry, and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Winners are featured in the magazine and were celebrated in January at NAHB’s International Building Show (IBS), the nation’s largest homebuilding conference and exposition.
"We congratulate Dahlin Group Architecture Planning," said Paul Deffenbaugh, editorial director of Professional Builder. "BALA entrants across the nation consistently offer our judges exceptional work—Dahlin Group and fellow honorees again upheld homebuilding’s highest standards of design and planning.”
Morgan Square is situated in a tight, urban infill site, with 13 units/acre. Its Plan Four was named Best Detached Home of 1801 to 2400 square feet and was additionally honored with BALA’s Best in Region Award for the Pacific region. Judges commended the home’s inviting elevation, open floor plan and outdoor entertainment spaces.
Also on an infill parcel, Tyler’s Creek earned BALA notice with its thoughtful approach to open space and environmental issues. In addition to its namesake creek, the parcel features mature trees and a single entry for vehicles; a “zippering” configuration for the home sites increases density while preserving the community’s pleasing open space.
Dahlin Group president Doug Dahlin said both projects typify higher density solutions that will lead new development in markets across the nation. “We have a clear, significant need for more affordable new homes that are closer to jobs, services and amenities,” he said. “Our BALA winners demonstrate that higher density design can—and should—deliver the quality of traditional single-family neighborhoods.”
Dahlin Group Architecture Planning is a full-service architecture and planning firm with expertise in urban design and planning, transit-oriented development, seniors housing, community and recreational facilities, commercial buildings, custom homes and residential communities. Its commitment to green and sustainable land uses and building designs is underscored by its LEED certification expertise. Dahlin Group maintains offices in Pleasanton, San Francisco, Irvine, and Solana Beach, California; and in Beijing, China. See www.dahlingroup.com.
