The Alkira, built by B&H Homes, was named best display home $350,000-$500,000 at the Northern Master Builders Regional Building Awards six months after the death of founding director Julian Baker.

B&H Homes director Joshua Baker, Julian’s son, said the presentation was quite emotional for the B&H family.

“Dad was the designer and was intimately involved throughout the construction,” Mr Baker said.

“It’s special to win an award any time but certainly there was extra special sentiment attached to this, being one of Julian’s last designs.”

B&H Homes began in 1977, with Julian Baker a well-known advocate in the region’s building industry for decades.

“There were a lot of well wishers after winning the award, saying it was very fitting,” his son said.

The Northern regional awards, held at Commercial Club Albury late last month, saw Bendigo’s Todd Newman Builders win residential builder of the year for the third year in a row.

Other Border/North East winners included DKM Builders (best renovation/addition over $500,000), Superior Living Homes (best display home $250,000-$350,000), Lekeal (best display home over $500,000), Southern Vale Homes (best custom home $300,000-$400,000), J&J Carroll (best multi-unit development up to three units) and Connelly Construction Services (excellence in construction of commercial buildings $1M to $3M).

Mr Baker said the Alkira, located at 6 Rogers Avenue in Wodonga’s White Box Rise estate, focused on natural light and a feature entry.

“A modern interpretation of a classic design was something that Dad was pretty keen on, the flexibility of the design was really important too,” he said.

Mr Baker said his father had been proud every B&H Homes display house had won either a Master Builders or Housing Industry Association honour.

“It was lovely to keep the perfect record of awarded display homes unblemished,” he said.