A super-sized pet-washing station, a pint-sized water park and a website with a blog featuring an alarm clock that wakes people up to the smell of cooking bacon are just three of the intriguing and innovative ideas incorporated by condo and apartment communities that have entered NAHB Multifamily’s 2011 Pillars of the Industry Awards.

The awards honor excellence in apartment and condominium design and development and leadership in marketing and property management. Finalists will be announced on Thursday, July 14.

A Touch of Whimsy

The pet-washing station was created to bring pet owners to its leasing center and pet-friendly community. Located in a dedicated and generous-sized community room, the station includes two drying stations — one for large pets, the other for smaller ones. 

The piano keys surrounding this pocket waterpark play musical notes when residents walk on them.

The Pillars judges also examined how a community with space constraints was able to tuck an attractive water park into it limited public space. The pocket water park features imaginative sculptures and ground-level fountains that visitors can walk through. The fountains also are framed by giant piano keys that play notes when kids and grownups walk on them. 

An apartment management company created a whimsical and informative website to attract prospective renters to its communities with more than just information about its properties. In addition to the bacon alarm clock, the blog features uncommon household items and lifestyle ideas such as an avant-garde bird sculpture, a Darth Vader kitchen spatula, bug-eyed motion detectors that activate the lights when someone enters a room, and a pet hotel for when owners are away on vacation or business.

More than just whimsy generated comments from the Pillars judges. Other ideas they took note of included:

• Using a solar credit program to incorporate photovoltaic panels and using virtual “net metering” that can earn residents energy refunds
• iPod docking stations in common areas
• Designating an entire community as non-smoking

The Pillars judges were: Bob Greer of The Michaels Organization; W. Dean Henry of Legacy Partners Residential; Rick Mercer, former director at Wood Partners; Jim Butz of Jefferson Apartment Group; Darcy Garneau, AIA, of  EDI International, Inc.; Jerry Beeler, of Beeler Guest Owens Architects; Jerry Collin of  Kay Green Design; Stan Harrelson of Pinnacle Realty Management; and Jamie Sue Gorski of The Bozzuto Group. 

Pillars Finalists Announced Online

The presentation announcing the finalists can be viewed at www.nahb.org/pillarsawards beginning July 14.

For more information, email Sheronda Carr at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8168.