KTGY Principals Invited to Speak on Affordable Senior Housing

KTGY Principals to Speak on 50+ Housing Panel in Newport Beach "The Next Generations in Affordable Senior Apartments: Seasons II"
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Stan Braden, AIA and David Kent, AIA to Participate
IRVINE, CALIF. - Award-winning KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, is pleased to announce that two KTGY principals have been invited to speak at the Building Industry Association of Southern California 50+ Housing Council's program, "The Next Generations in Affordable Senior Apartments: Seasons II," on Thursday, September 16, 2010, in Newport Beach, Calif.

KTGY's Stan Braden, AIA, principal and chairman, will participate as a panelist and David W. Kent, AIA and principal, will serve as the moderator. Other panelists will include Kevin Horner, LEED AP and vice president of project management for MacFarlane Costa Housing Partners, LLC and Michael M. Snowdon, vice president of asset management, also with MacFarlane Costa Housing Partners. MacFarlane Costa Housing Partners just completed Seasons II, an affordable senior apartment community in San Juan Capistrano and the company's first project built to LEED standards. This seasoned development team and their award-winning architect will share with the attendees about "going green," including how they adapted cutting-edge technology to the city's historic architecture and the value (in dollars and quality of life) of sustainable, energy-efficient senior housing.

Braden has over 35 years of architectural experience and has been responsible for the design and planning of many award-winning, LEED accredited, high-density residential, mixed-use, affordable, workforce, senior and campus housing projects as well as continuing care retirement communities including extensive community amenity facilities. A licensed architect in California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico, Braden has been with KTGY since 1992. He is currently a member of American Institute of Architects, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and Urban Land Institute.

Kent has more than 30 years of architectural and construction experience. He has worked with major homebuilders as well as architectural firms; and has successfully run his own design firm. Kent’s technical knowledge of construction brings valuable insight to his architectural designs, which is reflected in the success and awards won by many of the projects he is involved with. He has an extensive background in construction costs, project scheduling and governmental processing. His current focus is working with developers in California, Nevada and Arizona to create exciting new residential communities. Kent serves on the board of the 50+ Housing Council.

Noted as one of the country’s top residential design firms, KTGY has won countless awards for its residential and senior housing communities including the Gold Nugget, Builder’s Choice, Best in American Living, Pillars of Industry, MAME, SAM, Multifamily Executive, Multi-Housing News, Elan, Homer, Laurel and SAGE awards.

The event will be held at the Newport Radisson Hotel, 4545 MacArthur Boulevard in Newport Beach. Registration begins at 7:30 am and the program and breakfast start at 8:00 am. To attend the event, call 949.553.9500 or visit www.50PlusHC.com.

About 50+ Housing Council
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, 50+ Housing Council provides networking, education and partnering prospects for Southern California professionals involved in every aspect of building housing specifically for persons aged 50+ − active adult, “age-targeted,” senior condos, 55+ apartments, CCRC’s, Assisted Living, Alzheimer’s care and more. For more information, visit www.50plushc.com.

About BIA/SC
Established in 1923, the Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIA/SC) is a non-profit trade association representing more than 1,800 companies involved in planning and building Southern California’s neighborhoods and communities. Members are involved in all aspects of the building industry, from architecture and green building to roofing and general contracting. For more information, visit www.biasc.org.

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 www.ktgy.com.

KTGY Principal Ken Ryan Invited to Speak on TOD Design Trends at Fresno Convention Center
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“TOD Development: Design Trends, Considerations and Everything Else Mother Never Taught You"

IRVINE, CALIF. - Award-winning KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, is pleased to announce that Ken Ryan has been invited to participate as a speaker at the City of Fresno's Workshop, "Making Transit Oriented Development (TOD) a Reality in the San Joaquin Valley," on Friday, May 28, 2010, at the Fresno Convention Center from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm. Ryan is a principal and head of KTGY’s community planning and urban design studio and Ryan and his studio are currently serving as the design advisor for the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) High Speed Rail Transportation District, located next to Angel Stadium. ARTIC recently received Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) 2010 Compass Blueprint Recognition Award for Sustained Leadership and the 2009 Gold Nugget Outstanding On-the-Boards Site Plan Grand Award.

Ryan's presentation, “TOD Development: Design Trends, Considerations and Everything Else Mother Never Taught You," will feature the latest trends in the design of TODs including innovative, environmental-friendly technologies as well as how to create successful TODs that complement, revitalize and support the local economy. Ryan will highlight TOD examples, review lessons learned from initial ideas to the built environment, and offer insights regarding the challenges and opportunities for addressing the issues of place, livability, demographics/lifestyle, phasing, and mobility from a design perspective. Attendees will be provided a handout summarizing key Design Guideline considerations, areas to avoid, and elements to embrace as part of TOD planning. His presentation will start at 2:30 pm.

With over 25 years of experience, Ryan has been responsible for a wide variety of complex, high-profile projects throughout the United States. His impressive list of recent projects includes ARTIC, Corona High Speed Rail Transit District, Aldea Town Center at Porter Ranch, Chapman University, and La Floresta, a multigenerational urban infill community.

“By sharing some of our work, we hope to engage and enlighten attendees to the possibilities of how TOD, particularly as it relates to the current High Speed Rail efforts, provides a strong platform for addressing the issues of livability, affordability, sustainability and mobility in a deeper, more integrated way," Ryan says. “It’s more than reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT); it’s about applying the fundamentals of great neighborhoods to an urban setting and allowing for compelling memorable places to emerge."

Ryan has served on numerous local, regional and national boards including: two-term past Mayor of the City of Yorba Linda; past two-term Chairman of the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Toll Road Agency; past Board Member of the Orange County/Riverside County Major Investment Study (MIS) Corridor Agency; past Board Member of the Transportation Corridor System (TCS) Orange County Toll Road Agency. He is currently: Advisory Board Chairman for Abode Communities of Orange County; a member of the National Board of Directors for Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc.; Chairman of the Placentia Linda Hospital's Governing Board; and is an Advisory Board Member of Planning, Policy, and Design at U.C. Irvine. He is a past Member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Fire Authority; and recently served as a Member of the City of Anaheim’s Housing Element Ad Hoc Committee.

Ryan has been selected numerous times in Builder & Developer magazine’s “Who’s Who in Homebuilding”, was recognized as one of the 25 Most Influential People in North Orange County Magazine, and was one of three representatives from the United States invited to participate in an International roundtable discussion held at the SINO-International Real Estate Summit in Shanghai, China. He guest lectures at University of Southern California (USC), California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, and University of California, Irvine, and has published numerous articles regarding the planning profession. He regularly participates in Orange County radio and television programs and printed media interviews and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Planning from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona.

For more information about the event, visit www.fresno.gov/TODWorkshops or contact Bonique Salinas at the City of Fresno at Bonique.Salinas@fresno.gov or 559.621.8024.

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 www.ktgy.com.

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/.