Kristin Beall, a Florida licensed building contractor and vice president of Charlie Johnson Builder, received an Aurora Award from the Southeast Building Conference for "The Summerwind," a model for the "Fortified for safer living" community she is building in Eustis, Fla.The SEBC presents the prestigious Aurora Awards each year to home building professionals in a 12-state region that demonstrate the best in new home construction and design. Each entry was judged on curb appeal, floor plan function, livability, cost efficiency, interior finishing and construction value.

Beall developed a new concept in safe, affordable housing called "Storm Safe Homes." Each of the 59 homes built in the Oaks at Summer Glen will earn the "Fortified for safer living" designation from the Institute for Business & Home Safety. The Oaks will be the country's first moderately priced "Fortified" community and its Summerwind model is the first "Fortified" home to receive an Aurora Award.

"Fortified for safer living" is a core program in support of the Institute's mission to improve building quality throughout the nation.

"As the only inspection-based program for disaster resistant code — plus new residential construction, the "Fortified" designation is becoming the gold standard in this field," said Chuck Vance, Fortified program manager at IBHS.

To build Storm Safe Homes, Beall analyzed every phase of construction, from ridge vents to paint, working to balance beauty, safety, and affordability. Safety features that are standard in Storm Safe Homes include a reinforced concrete safe room, upgraded roofing system, storm shutters, and pre-wiring for a generator. There are nine floor plans ranging from 1,375 to 2,000 square feet. Prices start at $229,000 including the lot.

The safe room in each of these homes is constructed of reinforced and poured concrete, is engineered to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, and can be accessed from a walk-in closet. According to Beall's website, "The house can literally crumble around this room while occupants remain safe inside this reinforced concrete cocoon." The homes also come with storm-resistant windows protected by ballistic nylon shutters, concrete block construction, and a one-year subscription to a weather service that alerts homeowners by phone of an approaching storm.

"The Aurora Awards are the Grammys of the home building industry," said Beall. "I am honored to receive this award because it is truly a distinction of achievement and recognition of superior quality within the building industry."

For more on Kristin Beall or Storm Safe Homes, visit www.HomesByHer.com.

For more on the "Fortified for safer living" program, visit the IBHS web site www.disastersafety.org.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other property losses by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

SOURCE Institute for Business & Home Safety