For anyone attending pre-2021 NAHB International Builders’ Shows, the sheer magnitude of the event has always been overwhelming. For 2021, the organizers of the annual get-together for the home building industry bring the February 9-12 event down to size in the form of IBSx, an all-virtual experience suitable for armchair viewing and participation direct from a mobile device, laptop, or desktop. This approach also applies to the popular Pro Builder Show Village, a typically outdoor venue where model exhibition homes and other demos would be built. A digital cul-de-sac of innovative virtual homes will debut instead.
(Image above: Courtesy Woodley Architectural Group and Professional Builder.)
IBSx 2021 Pro Builder Show Village Homes
Sponsored by the team at Professional Builder, the 2021 edition of Show Village will provide virtual walkthrough tours, videos, and product pop-ups of three homes with decidedly different designs and approaches. These homes were developed through collaboration with leading architects, builders, research firms, and suppliers, and are dubbed the New New Home, the Healthy/Clean Home, and the Thoughtful Home. And while tour-goers will be free to cruise around the homes themselves, a virtual tour guide named Allison will be standing by to provide more structured tour experiences.
The home exterior aesthetics run the gamut, including modern farmhouse, craftsman, and Victorian. Two of the homes are modestly sized: The New New Home has 2,500 square feet of conditioned space, while the Healthy/Clean Home has 2,378. The Thoughtful Home is more than twice the size of the others, measuring 5,185 square feet.
You can see preliminary views of the homes now at pbshowvillage.com, while you can register to get access to the full virtual experience beginning February 9, 2021 and thereafter.
New New Home
A collaboration between Michael Woodley at Woodley Architectural Group and John Burns Real Estate Consulting, the New New Home was designed to fit on a narrow 50-ft. wide city lot while responding uniquely to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. The home encompasses a clean room with sink, a dedicated fitness area, plus special work-from-home (WHF) and learn-from-home (LFH) spaces.
Toward the goal of concurrent privacy for multiple family members, the formal WFH spaces include an office/play room on the main floor joined by a second office on the upper floor near the primary suite. Furthermore, the two secondary bedrooms embrace LFH needs through dedicated remote learning nooks.
A front entry gate adds security, opening to a large private courtyard to offer more opportunities to get work or studying done while still supporting family interactions and social distancing. A standalone guest house enables weekend visitors to have their own space, while easily flexing into weekday office or craft space.
Design: Woodley Architectural Group and John Burns Real Estate Consulting.
Images: Courtesy Woodley Architectural Group and Professional Builder.
Healthy/Clean Home
Indoor air quality, an attribute of utmost importance given the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, was integral to the design for the Healthy/Clean Home by Thrive Home Builders. Following the specs of the Indoor airPLUS program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the home includes advanced HEPA filtration, balanced ventilation, and active monitoring for radon gas. Based on the latest wireless technology, these integrated systems automatically respond to increased levels of irritants or particles in the air to ensure a constant supply of freshened and cleansed air.
Further nods to the heightened concern about health issues include touchless faucets and water filtration. Well-placed windows in most rooms also contribute to the healthy effects of daylighting.
While this IBSx instance of Thrive’s Renew design is entirely virtual, the real version of the dwelling can be seen in the Central Park community in Denver. Per Thrive’s website, the home has a starting price of $730,900 and is available with either a craftsman elevation (shown above) or a colonial design.
Design: Thrive Home Builders.
Images: Courtesy Thrive Home Builders and Professional Builder.
Thoughtful Home
Can applied neuroscience and good architecture contribute to a well-lived space? That’s the intent with the Thoughtful Home from BSB Design in Des Moines, a luxury-class home with ideas implemented to contribute to better sleep, heath, reduced stress, and increased productivity. The large two-story home, at 5,185 square feet, is oriented to bigger families and multi-generational living. It incorporates an upper floor private suite ideal for aging parents, an elevator to enable ease of movement between floors, and garage space for parking 4 cars.
On the floor plans, the architects made clear many rooms contribute to the aforementioned “thoughtful” goals by virtue of their names. For instance, a so-called Secret Room is designed as a stress-reducing hideaway, and they fitted its entrance with a hidden bookcase door to make their case. A Relax room off the foyer seems destined to do just that for its occupants, while an adjacent Work room would be ideal for private Zoom calls. And a dedicated Luggage space make storing bulky suitcases a snap between trips.
A large primary Kitchen is joined by a secondary food prep space tagged as Morning Kitchen, a nod to the messy kitchen genre beginning to appear in larger homes. Finally, a large Screened Porch and Deck facilitate more kick-back space off the upper floor, while a covered Patio below further brings the outside in.
Design: BSB Design.
Images: Courtesy BSB Design and Professional Builder.
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