Background:
The New American Home^® is the premiere attraction at The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) annual International Builder's Show (IBS). The home is a ‘real-world' laboratory demonstrating concepts, materials, designs, and construction techniques that can be replicated – in whole or in part – in housing built any place and in any price range.  Incorporating such elements as energy efficiency, indoor-air quality, safety, market value and other components of the building block is a principal goal of The New American Home program.

Since its inception in 1984, The New American Home has had the distinction of being both a show house and for sale product, balancing architectural freedom withthe bottom line. It is a collection of ideas for the industry to take away – in large pieces or bit-by-bit – and incorporated into millions of homes across the country each year.

The mission of The New American Home program is to show that “home performance” can be incorporated into the most simple or most complex homes, and that it's equally important as aesthetics.

Challenge:
When The New American Home^® 2005 was slated for construction in Orlando Florida's Baldwin Park, the team of architects, builders and craftsmen had to design the house to be more wind resistant – in compliance to the 2001 Florida Building Code.  In addition, goals were set out for significant reductions to household heating and cooling costs when compared to traditionally constructed houses of a similar size in the same climate.  The construction of The New American Home 2005 also had to see vastly improved indoor air quality and sound attenuation over what is typically experienced in today's buildings.