Las Vegas builders revitalize with creativity

Las Vegas is known for reinventing itself every few decades. This year may be the year desert contemporary and midcentury modern begin to overtake Las Vegas’ well-known love affair with Mediterranean-style designs.

Unlike the trendy new high-heel shoes that pop up overnight, new-home trends emerge over several decades. We’ve gone from compartmentalized living to flowing floor plans that incorporate indoor and outdoor living. We’ve got kitchens with islands that serve to prepare the meal and as an eating area. Informal eating nooks have replaced dining rooms.

Our master bedrooms are getting bigger with baths that have bigger showers that include a tub. Closets are getting bigger and many include laundry facilities. The master retreat has become a sanctuary for those with busy lives who need convenience and comfort.

We’ve seen a spike in the number of homebuilders designing for baby boomers and millennials — and both under the same roof with multigenerational homes. We also have seen more single-story homes, bigger garages and rooftop decks crowning three-story residences.

We continue to see smart houses that can have security, temperature and lighting controlled by a smartphone app. And our desert homes are becoming more and more green with energy-saving features and designs to conserve water, power and money.

Las Vegas homebuilders were among the nation’s hardest hit during the Great Recession. But it appears they took that time to go back to the drawing board to create more efficient and modern home designs.

For three years, the Silver Nugget Awards honors the most innovative Las Vegas homebuilders. The Southern Nevada Home Builders Association and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a sponsor of the awards, announced this year’s winners at a March 19 gala at Red Rock Resort. More than 400 people attended the event.

Judges — Vincent Barbato, principal of Family Development Homes; Donald Ruthroff, senior associate and senior architect at Dahlin Group Architecture Planning; and W. Rick Sellers, principal-in-charge and president of Carpenter Sellers Del Gatto Architects, decided the winners in more than 40 categories. John Huck, Fox 5 News anchor, and Caitlin Shea, executive director of HomeAid Southern Nevada, were the emcees of the awards ceremony. See the winners on page 14.

“It was great to see the housing industry bouncing back and its builders being committed to increasing the overall quality of product being delivered,” Sellers said. “The overall winners displayed very creative well-thought-out plans, creative use of materials and great attention to detail.

They also incorporated excellent daylighting opportunities and many focused on indoor/outdoor living environments.”