Alan Hoffmann was a green builder when green building wasn’t cool.
Now at the forefront of the sustainable building industry, Hoffmann was honored by his peers this month as the recipient of the Dallas Builders Association’s 2022 Hugh Prather Trophy.
“I was really pretty surprised,” Hoffmann told Daltxrealestate.com. “They were introducing the winner of this trophy — this recognition that has honored some really heavy hitters over the years — and a few lines in, I thought, ‘This is starting to sound like me.’”
Hoffmann’s daughter Alison and her husband, Charles Charley, who work for Hoffmann Homes, were responsible for getting the man of the hour to the Oct. 1 event where he was honored.
Even the builder’s wife, Pam, didn’t have prior knowledge he’d be receiving the award.
“It was really quite an honor,” Hoffmann said.
Hugh Prather Trophy
The Hugh Prather Trophy was named for the Dallas Builders Association’s first president “in hopes that [Prather’s] principles would serve as a guide for future generations of builders,” according to a Dallas BA press release. “It is not meant to be simply a ‘Builder of the Year,’ but something more that reflects credit to the building industry.”
Hoffmann said he was humbled to be in the company of previous recipients including Dave Fox, Fred Roach, and the 2021 winner, Frank Murphy of Wynne/Jackson, who presented him the award.
The respect among the trophy winners appears to be mutual.
“He has never been afraid to stand his ground,” Murphy said during his presentation to Hoffmann.
Green Building Pioneer
Hoffmann came by the award honestly.
He was the first builder to introduce insulated concrete forms (ICF) to North Texas in 1995 and speaks across the nation about green building.
Hoffmann is referred to by the Dallas BA as a “pioneer of sustainable building” and is now helping other developers use ICF for exterior walls in single-family homes. His company designed and built the first homes to be certified by the U.S. Green Building “LEED for Homes” program.
“There’s a lot more receptivity to this kind of development now,” Hoffmann said.
Walking The Talk With Alan Hoffmann
The owner of Hoffmann Homes is currently repurposing an old teacher’s parking lot near Bryan Adams High School into a 10-home development. It’s near another one of Hoffmann’s East Dallas projects, Abode @ White Rock, which features high-performance ICF homes, xeriscaping with a rain garden, and a rainwater cistern for irrigating common areas of the development.
Hoffmann also has been at the forefront of local issues, working with the City of Dallas on its zoning overhaul and the recent permitting crisis. He’s fought against excessive and illegal permitting fees in McKinney, setting precedent with the Texas Supreme Court.
“I’ve been a pretty strong advocate for what I believe is right, and I’ve been involved in some conflicts that were resolved favorably for the building industry,” Hoffmann said.
He serves on the National Association of Home Builders Leadership Council and Building Systems Council. He was president of the Dallas BA in 2018.
“For well over a decade, Alan Hoffmann has worked with the Dallas BA staff on a litany of issues in the city of Dallas, starting with writing the city’s green building ordinance,” said Dallas BA Executive Officer Phil Crone. “On this and several other code-related items, Alan’s ability to ‘talk the talk and walk the walk’ has been invaluable.”
Hoffmann told Daltxrealestate.com he’s humbled and grateful to be honored by his peers.
“What we do is not easy,” he said. “I’ve got nothing but respect for my colleagues. They work hard and they literally build something from dirt.”
