KTGY Principals to Speak At NAHB 50+ Housing Symposium in New Orleans: 50 Ways to Please 50 Plusers

PRLog (Press Release) – May 16, 2008 – IRVINE, CALIF. - Award-winning KTGY GROUP, INC., Architecture and Planning, is pleased to announce that three KTGY principals have been invited to speak at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Building For Boomers & Beyond: 50+ Housing Symposium in New Orleans, LA. The event will be held on May 19-21, 2008 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel and will feature a variety of educational programs focused on the needs and trends of the 50+ housing industry.  

KTGY’s Ken Ryan will participate in the session “50 Ways to Please 50 Plusers” on Tuesday, May 20, from 10:30 am - 12:00 noon. Ryan will discuss community design and placemaking techniques that foster connectivity while preserving exclusivity and security; and will provide lessons learned from concept inception to project approval. With over 20 years of industry experience, Ryan has served as a leader guiding the design and implementation of a wide variety of complex high profile communities throughout the United States. His experience overseeing projects from initial ideas to successful implementation provides him with an understanding of the important interrelationship between marketplace, environmental setting, political sensitivities and design considerations. Former Mayor of Yorba Linda, Calif., Ryan currently heads up the KTGY’s Community Planning and Urban Design Studio providing expertise in master planned communities, urban design, mixed-use/regeneration, resort/recreation, strategic planning and entitlement services. Ryan has written and contributed to numerous articles on urban planning and design.

KTGY’s Manny Gonzalez, AIA will be a speaker at the session “Podiums and Wrappers – Models for Higher Density Mixed-Use Sites” on May 20, from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm. This session will focus on two building models that offer developers the most economical means to achieve increased densities and mixed-use— podiums and wrapper buildings. Gonzalez, along with other panelists, will present the code and construction challenges and east and west coast case studies that addressed those challenges. Gonzalez is the senior partner in KTGY’s Santa Monica office. He is responsible for the design, land planning and production of developments throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado as well as active adult and affordable multi-family communities nationwide. Gonzalez has also served as chair of the AIA Housing Committee, a member of BIA’s Board of Directors, and on national committees for NAHB 50+ Symposium and the University of Housing. He is currently on the editorial advisory board of 50+ Builder and has written and contributed to scores of articles on residential design. In late January 2008, NAHB 50+ Housing Council honored Gonzalez for his accomplishments in the 50+ housing industry and awarded him with the Certified Active Adult Specialist in Housing (CAASH) designation.  

KTGY’s Rob Williams, AIA will participate in the session “The High Tech Advantage in Active Adult Living” on Wednesday, May 21 from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm. This session will increase builder understanding of high tech features and show how to design with these trends as well as market them to boomers. Williams, along with other panelists, will provide examples of how a high tech home can make buyers’ lives more enjoyable and convenient. Learn why this is the future of the industry. Williams has over 20 years of architectural practice including residential, civic and commercial design. Much of his experience has been in the capacity of projects from active adult communities including clubhouses incorporating the latest “Universal Design” techniques to high-end custom residences.  Throughout his career, Williams has participated in numerous speaking engagements and events discussing the latest trends in 50+ living as well as their concerns and desires.

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, Elan, Homer and Laurel Awards. Most recently, KTGY received its fourth Gold Award from the NAHB for Dorado Senior Apartments in Buena Park. It also won an NAHB Silver Award for its Gardens at Sierra.

The NAHB 50+ Housing Council is the voice of the 50+ seniors housing industry and a leading source of information and research on the active adult, independent living, service-enriched, and assisted-living markets. With 10,000 people turning 50 every single day and 50+ consumers accounting for more than one quarter of all new home sales, it's the fastest growing segment of the housing industry. For information on Building For Boomers & Beyond: 50+ Housing Symposium registration, visit http://www.nahb.org.

KTGY GROUP, INC., Architecture and Planning, was created in 1991, with project viability and client satisfaction as abiding priorities, while providing complete planning and architectural design services for residential communities, retail developments, hospitality and related specialty projects. In a complex and changing world, the firm consistently delivers innovative solutions that reflect clear understanding of development, marketing and financial performance. KTGY takes particular pride in its highly motivated and principal led studio teams, who deliver superior services, thus strengthening clients’ long-term growth and earnings objectives. Serving clients throughout the United States, the firm has locations in Irvine, Santa Monica, Oakland and Denver. For more information, contact Sayeh Rad at (949) 851-2133 or visit www.ktgy.com.