The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) named winners in nine categories for its eight annual Best of IBS Awards during the final day of the 2020 International Builders Show in Las Vegas. The Best of IBS Awards received more than 350 entries and winners were determined by a panel of independent judges consisting of attending reporters and building professionals. In addition to the nine category winners, the NAHB also awarded an overall Best in Show award.
Enginuity Micro-CHP by Enginuity Power Systems was named the Best in Show winner by NAHB. The product was also named the Best Energy Efficient Product and Best Home Technology Product. Judges said of all the Best of IBS entrants, the Enginuity Micro-CHP “seems to be the biggest game changer.” The product’s goal is to remove existing gas-fired water heaters and replace them with a single unit that produces a home’s hot water, space heating needs, and electricity. The 500cc single-cylinder engine makes up to 6.2 kilowatts of power, meaning it only has to run a few hours a day to provide the hot water and electricity needed to keep an average-sized American home comfortable, according to the manufacturer.
AeroBarrier by AeroBarrier was named the Best Green Building Product for 2020. AeroBarrier is a cutting-edge envelope sealing technology for commercial, residential, and multifamily applications. The product launched at IBS in 2018 and was named Best in Show and Most Innovative Product in the year it was introduced. The AeroBarrier system includes a compressor, generator, blower door, emitters, hoses, and the AeroBarrier machine.
Marvin’s Marvin Skycove was named the Best Indoor Product at IBS in 2020. The window is built on a steel structure, designed to hold 60 pounds per square foot.
The space that [Skycove] creates can be used to solve many different problems that we don’t solve today amongst window and door companies, and that is to create space perhaps in a smaller kitchen or where a couch would not normally fit," Levi Geadelmann, senior marketing product manager for Marvin, told ProSales at IBS.
Marvin’s Awaken Skylight won the Best Window and Door Product category and was also recognized as a finalist in the Best Home Technology Product category. The skylight uses digital technology to offer homeowners new ways to connect with and experience light, air, and their environments. For example, the Awaken Skylight comes with supplemental lighting, which can be controlled via a mobile app or bluetooth-enabled wall switches. The skylight enables homeowners to maximize the space for natural daylight, as the light well goes straight up to the glass without a stepped approach. "That allows the glass to be larger, so you're getting more daylight opening for the same size rafter or truss spaces," Brian Farnes, product and system engineer at Marvin, said in an interview with ProSales at IBS.
Atlas Granite’s MASST, a laser and light technology that can transform any solid surface into a touchscreen, was named the Best Kitchen & Bath Product at IBS.
The Outdoor Living Experience by Somfy, StruXure Outdoor & Phantom Screens was named the Best Outdoor Product. The Outdoor Living Experience is a one-stop resource for design-build professionals to discover technologies that create a smart patio that clients can enjoy in any environmental condition or season.
Metwood Building Solutions’ 2810HR Joist Reinforcer was named the Most Innovative Building Material at IBS. Metwood Joist Reinforcers are engineered light gauge steel add-ons that allow tradesmen to run utilities right through joists. The product allows greater flexibility in the routing and installation of utilities when using engineered I-Joists or 2x Joists, according to the manufacturer.
BILT 3D Intelligent Instructions by BILT Incorporated was named the Most Innovative Construction Tool. The mobile app features interactive, 3D step-by-step instructions for products requiring assembly, installation, set-up, repair, or maintenance.
“The 2020 IBS exhibitors really brought their A-game this year,” Fred Tobin, NAHB conventions and meetings committee chair, said in a public statement. “We are thrilled to recognize the winners of this year’s Best of IBS Awards that really stood out as the most impressive products at the show.”
