KTGY-Designed Eco-friendly Student Housing Begins Construction in Northern California

The Sobrato Organization Begins Construction on KTGY-designed Eco-friendly Apartments for Santa Clara University Students

IRVINE, CALIF. - Award-winning KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, is pleased to announce construction of a new student housing community at Santa Clara University (SCU) in the Silicon Valley. The developer is The Sobrato Organization of Cupertino, a family-owned, privately held real estate investment organization focused on residential and office developments.

Upon completion in fall 2011, this new eco-friendly residential community, designed by KTGY, will provide 400 beds for the University’s junior and senior students.

“Santa Clara University is excited to have its first eco-friendly housing complex for students, especially since the university’s mission is to become more sustainable and climate neutral,” said Joe Sugg, assistant vice president of University Operations at SCU. “While we teach our students about the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling, the best way to lead is by example.”

SCU is committed to climate neutrality by 2015, meaning the University intends to have net zero carbon emissions by that year. The University has also implemented many energy efficiency measures to help reach this goal.

“This new development represents a partnership between Santa Clara University and The Sobrato Organization to ease the demand for on campus student housing,” said The Sobrato Organization’s Rich Truempler, director, development. “For over 50 years, the Sobrato Family has played a dynamic role in the emergence and growth of the Silicon Valley. We are very pleased to help Santa Clara University meet the needs of its growing student population and its sustainability and climate neutrality goals.”

The new student housing is located at 1260 Campbell Avenue on 5.18 acres of land in both the cities of Santa Clara and San Jose. The urban infill site is directly adjacent to SCU’s Stephen Schott Stadium and within easy walking distance to University classes and events as well as rail transit.

Designed under the Build It Green standards, which incorporates the latest in energy efficiency, indoor air quality, resource conservation and water conservation, the new housing is being built on the site of a former commercial/industrial building. Some of the eco-friendly design features include:

• Energy Star-rated lighting and windows
• Dark Sky compliant exterior lighting
• Water-saving fixtures in the bathrooms
• High efficiency dual-flush toilets
• Trash and recycling receptacles made from recycled content
• Zero volatile organic compound (VOC) interior paints and low VOC interior finishes and adhesives
• Building materials that contain recycled content and do not emit harmful chemicals

The thoughtfully-planned student apartment homes will range in size from one bedroom, one bath at 604 square feet to four bedrooms, two bathrooms at 1,382 square feet. The new student residential community will feature a 4,500-square-foot student services center, which includes a spacious multipurpose event room with a kitchen and support services facility. Outdoor amenities include social and recreation areas plus bike storage.

According to David Obitz, KTGY principal and lead designer for the project, the new student housing community and student services center will blend with SCU’s mix of Early California, Italianate, and contemporary themes.

“The new student residential community’s design concept and organization gathers the student housing around a series of greenbelt mews, anchored by a central courtyard. The sequential spaces are activated by two volleyball courts, a bocce ball court, multiple outdoor kitchen/barbecue and seating areas and plazas. All ‘roads’ lead to the hub of activity, the student services center,” added Obitz.

KTGY has won countless awards for its many campus, mixed-income, affordable, workforce, and senior housing projects. KTGY recently completed a new housing development for professors and staff of the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) as well as a 1,753-bed student housing development, which achieved LEED Gold on the campus of University of California, Irvine (UCI), KTGY's third UCI campus project. KTGY is currently designing three off-campus student apartment projects near several impacted campuses in the prime markets of San Diego, San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles. The sites are directly adjacent to or within ¾ mile of the main campuses. Developers are considering student housing developments as the market has shifted from condo-mania to for-rent product, Obitz stated.

About Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its more than 8,800 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, theology, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master’s universities, California’s oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.

About The Sobrato Organization
Since 1953, the Sobrato Family has played a pivotal role in shaping Silicon Valley with unique facilities that provide compelling benefits for forward-thinking companies. Founded by John A. Sobrato in 1979, The Sobrato Organization today remains a family-owned firm with no outside investors or joint venture partners. Led by chairman and founder John A. Sobrato and his son, John M. Sobrato, who serves as chief executive officer, the firm is known for its integrity and dedication. Today, Sobrato owns more than 86 commercial properties in the Silicon Valley and over 400 acres of land throughout Santa Clara and Alameda counties. Sobrato's office and R&D projects comprise 7.96 million square feet, most of which are Class A, mid-rise office buildings. The firm also owns 30 apartment communities totaling 7,300 units along the West Coast. For more information, see www.sobrato.com.

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, Calif., Denver, Colo., and Tysons Corner, Va. See www.ktgy.com.

KTGY-Designed Affordable Apartments Adjacent to Colma BART Station to Celebrate Grand Opening
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BRIDGE Housing Corporation Completes Trestle Glen for Families Who Earn 20% to 50% of San Mateo County Median Income

OAKLAND, CALIF. – KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, announces the grand opening celebration of Trestle Glen, a transit-oriented, eco- and pedestrian-friendly apartment community located in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County, adjacent to the Colma BART Station. Developed by BRIDGE Housing Corporation, the leading nonprofit developer of affordable homes in California, Trestle Glen provides high-quality workforce housing to families earning between 20 percent and 50 percent of the area median income. The KTGY-designed Trestle Glen offers 119 thoughtfully-planned dwellings ranging in size from one- to three-bedroom units; 28 one-, 44 two-, and 47 three-bedroom apartment homes. Rent is currently $403 to $1,400 per month, based on family and apartment size and income level.

With a GreenPoint Rated score of 128, where 50 points is a minimum requirement, the new $44.5 million, five-story development located at 370 F Street, incorporates Spanish Mediterranean architectural elements and offers a number of “green” features such as solar panels to preheat domestic hot water, bio-swales that naturally filter rainwater and a community recycling program. During construction more than 80 percent of waste generated was recycled and diverted from landfills.

Trestle Glen features a community center with a kitchen, a 56-space childcare facility with outdoor play space, landscaped courtyard areas, basketball court, tot lot and convenient laundry facilities. The apartment community’s onsite resident services are expected to include programs such as childcare, English as a Second Language classes, homebuyer workshops, credit counseling and financial management classes, computer skills, and after-school programs and homework clubs.

“Trestle Glen provides a positive example to the community of quality, affordable housing and is a stepping stone for family advancement,” said BRIDGE Housing President and CEO Cynthia Parker. “Affordable homes integrated with services give residents more opportunities to increase their education, build skills for better jobs, and plan for homeownership. Children can have more stability in their lives and do better in school.”

Trestle Glen’s location encourages walkability and the use of the adjacent BART transit, and transforms El Camino Real into a vibrant, safe, and welcoming place to live, work, and play. The apartment community’s sustainable design and construction reduce its carbon footprint and add to the affordability by reducing automobile-associated expenses and utility costs.

“In addition to below market rents, Trestle Glen’s close proximity to public transportation, jobs, services and education further increase affordability for residents who have few affordable housing options, especially for larger families,” said Jill D. Williams, AIA and principal at KTGY.

The average household in San Mateo County spends $32,693 annually on housing. “Trestle Glen addresses the severe affordable housing need especially for working families in San Mateo County with annual incomes ranging from $16,491 to $56,550 for a household of four,” said Parker.

Trestle Glen is situated on the site of a former mobile home park at 370 F Street, which previously housed 42 individuals and families, and now serves 119 families plus the addition of 32 future entry-level for-sale townhomes by another developer.

“KTGY has enjoyed creating livable communities for working families with BRIDGE Housing since our first collaboration in 1998,” said Williams. “Trestle Glen offered an opportunity for a higher density solution for an underutilized infill site. This 2.7-acre triangular-shaped parcel, adjacent to BART, took the collaboration of the design team working closely with BRIDGE Housing, the Town of Colma and San Mateo County to fulfill the ultimate best use.”

Trestle Glen’s attractive design and cohesive layout encourage a sense of community among residents. “The placement of shared spaces such as the community center, lobby and courtyard elevate the importance of onsite resident services and social interaction and increase resident satisfaction,” Williams noted. “The on grade parking is tucked out of sight under four stories of high quality residential living.”

Trestle Glen’s common area walls are decorated with art from Creativity Explored, a nonprofit visual arts center where artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit, and sell art, inspire residents and support community.

"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 have LEED accredited and sustainability/green building experts," said Williams. “We work in partnership with our clients to get the most benefit from incorporating eco-friendly and sustainable architecture programs into our designs and buildings.”

Trestle Glen’s additional green features include:
• Play structures and surfaces are made of more than 20% recycled materials.
• The building features side-by-side trash and recycling chutes, plus a built-in recycling bin in each home.
• The insulation in the roof and walls of Trestle Glen contains no added formaldehyde.
• Trestle Glen's bathroom fans and kitchen fans exhaust to the exterior.
• All interior paints are low-VOC.
• All cabinetry has reduced formaldehyde content.
• The carpets in the homes and common areas are certified CRI Green Label Plus.
• Solar hot water panels located on the roof pre-heat the domestic hot water.
• A high efficiency gas-powered boiler heats the domestic hot water.
• All appliances have met the Energy Star criteria for energy efficiency.
• Almost all of the plant species are California native or Mediterranean species that require only occasional watering.
• Trestle Glen uses a landscape irrigation controller that receives weather data via a satellite connection and a high-efficiency drip irrigation system.
• Nearly all rain is captured and treated onsite. Rain that falls on the roof drains to large bio-swales, which naturally filter and percolate rainwater into the stormwater system.
• Showerheads are low flow and sinks have flow limiters.
• Toilets have half and full flush buttons to better economize water usage.
• The building is located adjacent to the Colma BART Station and a number of SamTrans bus lines.
• Secure bicycle parking is available within the garage.

About Build It Green
GreenPoint Rated is a program of Build It Green, a professional non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient buildings in California. A GreenPoint Rated home is graded on five categories: energy efficiency, indoor air quality, resource conservation and water conservation. Green building offers homebuilders, community leaders and California residents sensible solutions that improve an individual home’s performance and provide broad-based community benefits. These benefits range from cleaner air to reduced traffic congestion, from more appealing recreational opportunities to greater economic vitality. Developments designed to reduce dependence on cars help ease traffic congestion, which can improve business productivity. For more information, visit www.builditgreen.org.

About BRIDGE Housing
BRIDGE Housing Corporation, the leading nonprofit developer of affordable homes in California, creates and manages a range of high-quality, affordable homes for working families and seniors. Since it was founded in 1983, BRIDGE has participated in the development of over 13,000 homes serving more than 35,000 Californians. For more information, visit www.bridgehousing.com.

About KTGY Group
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 www.ktgy.com.