Highlight Homes Recognized with Two Prestigious Distinctions from the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association

Atlanta, GA, December 01, 2011 --(PR.com)-- While 2011 may have been far from a banner year for the Atlanta housing market on a whole, Highlight Homes is proud to end it on a high note with two prestigious recognitions from the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association (HBA). Founded in 1945 by a group of builders looking for an organization to serve their interests and needs within the homebuilding industry, this highly revered not-for-profit professional trade association is dedicated to promoting, protecting and preserving the residential construction industry as a viable economic force in the Atlanta area.

Long dedicated to eco-friendly practices and initiatives in his own developments, designs, renovations, and custom construction homes, Highlight Homes’ Founder and Principal Tony Pourhassan was elected to the Board of Directors for the Green Building Council of the HBA in early October. The Green Building Council brings together those in the housing industry who participate in the planning, building, remodeling, marketing and selling of high-performance green homes and related products and services. The council provides a forum for professionals in the industry to promote green home standards and best practices, to network with others in the industry and to take a proactive role as leaders in the green housing industry.

“I consider it a great honor to be nominated and elected to a Council that is dedicated to a subject so near and dear to my own heart,” explains Pourhassan. “I feel doubly blessed to serve on the educational sub-committee, and share both my knowledge and passion for environmentally responsible construction with other up-and-coming builders and renovators in Atlanta. Not only is Green Building the wave of the future for the homebuilding industry, it’s the responsible thing to do as builders to protect our planet for future generations.”

Just one month later, Pourhassan and his talented team of professionals at Highlight Homes were recognized again during the 31st Annual OBIE Awards on November 12. One of Pourhassan’s designs brought home a Gold OBIE for the relatively young renovation division of the established residential construction company. The winning entry in the Kitchen Remodel Under $75,000 category was the “heart of the home” of a 1970’s Colonial house in the highly esteemed Newnan Pines Country Club in Newnan, Georgia. The original vision involved an update of the small, outdated galley kitchen in hopes of creating an inviting interior living space where the homeowners could easily entertain family and friends. Pourhassan and his design-build team worked tirelessly to ensure that the homeowners’ vision was met while paying particular attention to the fact that old blended in with the new so the changes appeared seamless.

Structural engineering played a major role as square feet were added to the home and the layout was reconfigured for flow. All told, the renovation involved a complete kitchen remodel, room addition, and deck addition PLUS transformations of the living room, dining room, half bath and laundry. The crown jewel of the kitchen remodel – something that really sets it apart and makes it one-of-a-kind – is the tile mosaic over the stovetop. It is hand painted and manufactured by the oldest tile company in Jerusalem. Highlight Homes not only ordered and installed it, but offered it to the family as a thank you for their business. In the end, the full remodel only took seven weeks to complete, and the clients were so elated that they have recommended Highlight Homes to a number of their friends and neighbors.

“This was perhaps one of our favorite renovations to date,” insists Pourhassan. “We share this award with the family who welcomed us into their home and trusted us so completely with their renovation. As wonderful as this OBIE Award is, the true reward comes from knowing that you have transformed someone’s home beyond their wildest dreams. Nothing beats tears of joy and a show of true gratitude from a homeowner who is seeing the completed work for the first time.”

Highlight Homes was also the recipient of the 2008 OBIE Award for Best Interior for their Cottages at Stillwood subdivision, and sister development company, Vesmont, Inc. won Best Community Logo for its eco-friendly Terrasol community. The OBIE Awards first made their debut in 1980 and have grown since to now feature more than 100 building, remodeling, marketing and personal achievement categories. The OBIE Awards, named after the obelisk shape of the actual award given, are the premier awards of Atlanta’s residential building industry. Pourhassan and his team are tremendously humbled and elated with the win, and are already making plans for next year’s OBIE Award submission.

“It’s extremely rewarding and humbling to have your work recognized and heralded in this way by a panel of your peers,” says Pourhassan. “When the housing market fell into a freefall a few years ago, we made the decision to diversify and launch a renovation division based on all of the same principles of our custom home construction business – commitment to quality, dedication to our clients, and devotion to Earth-friendly practices. This award is a tangible signal to us that we are definitely doing something right. We’re extremely thankful to the Greater Atlanta Home Builder Association for this recognition.”

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