KTGY Earns Two Grand Awards in Gold Nugget Competition For Green Residential Community & World-Class Intermodal Mixed-Use Site Plan
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12 High Honors Recognize Firm’s Diverse Portfolio of Design Excellence

IRVINE, CALIF. - Award-winning KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, has earned 12 high honors (2 Grands and 10 Merits) in the prestigious 2009 Gold Nugget design and planning competition honoring the firm's wide range of capabilities, excellence and innovation in addressing complex design/build issues in attached, detached and sustainable communities as well as the critical planning of transit-oriented districts. The firm's winning projects are located throughout Northern and Southern California and were selected from more than 375 entries from 14 western states and internationally. The Grand Award winners were announced during the PCBC in San Francisco at the Gold Nugget Awards gala on June 18, 2009. PCBC is the nation's largest regional trade show and conference.

"Our success and the success of our clients reflect our clear understanding of the important balance between development, market knowledge and financial performance," said KTGY's CEO Tricia Esser.

The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) was awarded the Grand Award for "Outstanding On-The-Boards Site Plan." Located in Anaheim, ARTIC is envisioned to be a world-class transportation center that will serve as a major transit gateway and TOD location for Southern California. Designed as a transportation destination for the future, ARTIC will accommodate the California High Speed Rail, the California/Nevada Maglev Trains, additional Metrolink and Amtrak service, and a Monorail to the Disney Resort Area along with other modes of ground transportation.

A strong public realm and Urban Design Framework form the armature for creating place with plazas, pedestrian promenades, and a riverwalk allowing for future residential, retail, office and hospitality uses to complement and integrate with the iconic vision for the Transit Center. The City of Anaheim is the lead Agency working closely with multiple stakeholders and partnering with the Orange County Transportation Authority.

In addition to receiving the Gold Nugget Grand Award, the American Planning Association Orange County Chapter recently awarded ARTIC with the 2009 Outstanding Planning Award for Focused Issue Planning, which recognizes an unusually high merit report or development plan.

"This major transit gateway will connect Orange County to other areas in California, the United States and around the world, and help ease the demand for local and regional airport expansion and offer future users convenient alternatives for using the auto," said Ken Ryan, principal and head of KTGY's community planning and urban design studio. "This catalyst project is anticipated to be implemented in multiple phases over the next 20 years with phase one consisting of a 13,000-square-foot terminal building, 23,000 square feet of retail space and 30,000 square feet of civic space." In addition to Ryan, KTGY's ARTIC design and planning team includes Geoff Graney, lead designer; Mark Hickner, planning and entitlement director; and Lora Kennedy, project planner.

The Glen at Hidden Hills master-planned community, developed by O'Brien Homes, won a Gold Nugget Grand Award for "California Green Builder Residential Community." The Glen in picturesque Napa, Calif., offers a distinct rich elegance that embraces the enchanting complexities of the wine country and validates the premise that sophisticated single-family detached home design can pair comfortably with environmentally friendly construction. Stylish design integrates classic themes, luxury and practicality. With three to five bedrooms, these one- and two-story homes offer elegant exteriors, spacious interiors with a host of comforting details and sustainable construction and design features. In a streetscape as carefully planned as the homes, a well-textured neighborhood responds to the beautiful setting of rolling hills and open spaces. Tien Shin-Shen, LEED AP, Studio Director joined Jill D. Williams, AIA, Principal and design lead for the team, in partnering with O'Brien for the successful development of The Glen.

This is the second year in a row that one of KTGY's designs has won the Grand Award in the category of Best California Green Builder Residential Community. Last year, KTGY-designed Poppy Lane at Natomas Meadows in Sacramento, Calif. won the Grand Award in this category while KTGY was also honored in 2008 for two other outstanding sustainable communities, Vantage of Palo Alto in Palo Alto, Calif. and Carsten Crossings in Rocklin, Calif. In the 2009 Gold Nugget competition, Vantage of Palo Alto also received a Merit Award for "Outstanding Attached Project - under 18 du/acre."

"As a member of Build-It Green as well as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), KTGY continues to stay at the forefront of this dynamic industry and has LEED accredited and sustainability/green building experts," says Jill Williams, AIA and principal. "We work in partnership with our clients to get the highest benefit from incorporating eco-friendly and sustainable architecture programs with our buildings and designs."

KTGY's Principal David Senden, along with Ben Kasdan and Bryan Sevy from KTGY, partnered with a team of architectural students from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, and were recognized for their contribution and forward thinking ideas in the Gold Nugget Awards' Imagining the Future Design Charrette. The Charrette explored new home and neighborhood design ideas for the GEN Y Buyer.

The Gold Nugget Merit winners are as follows:

* Cottonwood Creek Apartments (BRIDGE Housing Corporation) in Suisun City, Calif. - "Outstanding Affordable Project - Under 30 du/acre" and "Outstanding Low Rise Apartment Project (up to 3 stories of housing) for Rent"

* Diamond Apartment Homes (Jamboree Housing Corporation) in Anaheim, Calif. - "Outstanding Affordable Project - Under 30 du/acre"

* Granite Court (Jamboree Housing Corporation) in Irvine, Calif. - "Outstanding Affordable Project - 30 du/acre or more"

* The Ashton at Dublin Station (The Hanover Company) in Dublin, Calif. - "Outstanding On-The-Boards Apartment Project"

* Serenade at RiverPark (RP Apartment Ventures LLC) in Oxnard, Calif. - "Outstanding Neighborhood Site Plan up to 20 Acres"

* Lytle Creek (Lytle Development Joint Venture III) in Rialto, Calif. - "Outstanding On-The-Boards Site Plan"

* Connemara - Plan 4 (O'Brien Homes) in Pacifica, Calif. - "Outstanding Single Family Detached Home - 2,500 to 3,500 sq. ft."

* Hidden Hills - Plan 2 (O'Brien Homes) in Napa, Calif. - "Outstanding Single Family Detached Home - 2,500 to 3,500 sq. ft."

* Vantage of Palo Alto (Warmington Homes of California) in Palo Alto, Calif. - "Outstanding Attached Project - under 18 du/acre"

KTGY continues its stride in producing award-winning multi-family and mixed-use developments that integrate the latest urban design trends and green building technologies with the needs of the end user. Among its other multi-family product types, KTGY is well recognized for its designs in affordable, senior and campus housing as well as retail, hospitality, mixed-use and related specialty developments.

About KTGY Group, Inc.
Established in 1991, KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, provides comprehensive planning and award-winning architectural design services for residential communities, retail, hospitality, mixed-use and related specialty developments. KTGY delivers innovative solutions that reflect clear understanding of development, marketing and financial performance and takes particular pride in its highly motivated and principal led studios. Serving clients worldwide, KTGY maintains offices in Irvine, Oakland and Santa Monica, and in Denver. See http://www.ktgy.com/.