National Accolades for Affordable Workforce Housing Community Design by KTGY

Feb. 9, 2009 - PRLog -- IRVINE, CALIF. - Award-winning KTGY GROUP, INC., Architecture and Planning, has received national recognition for the design of Nuevo Amanecer Apartments, an affordable, workforce housing community in Pajaro, Calif. The Center for Community Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley selected Nuevo Amanecer Apartments as a finalist for the 2009 I. Donald Terner Prize. A biennale award, the Terner Prize recognizes successful and innovative affordable housing projects and their leadership teams.

Developed and built by South County Community Builders of Gilroy, Calif., KTGY’s distinguished design maintains the sense of community and interaction among the residents, including patios and balconies, a long central paseo with benches anchored by a large community room on one end and a tot-lot with barbecue and picnic area on the other end. The six-building project is 100 percent affordable for incomes 60 percent or less below median family income (MFI).

“Our goal with Nuevo Amanecer Apartments was to provide affordable, energy-efficient, quality homes for low income migrant and resident farm workers,” said KTGY’s Principal David Senden.

“Solar roof panels, made possible through grants and subsidies, are used to generate electricity, which aids in affordable living. The efficient, high-density design promotes affordability, and delivers comfortable living spaces. Site plan supplies two garage spaces per unit. Paseo and shaded areas promote neighborly interface, safety and security,” said Senden.

In 1996, visionary leader in the affordable housing field Don Terner tragically lost his life during a humanitarian mission to Bosnia. This biennale prize was created to commemorate his legacy and inspire projects that best exemplify his spirit and commitment to affordable housing.

“The Terner Prize showcases the leadership required to overcome the many obstacles to building affordable housing,” said Doug Abbey, prize chair and founder of IHP Capital Partners. “Quality, quantity and affordability, was Don’s mantra and the prize is designed to recognize innovation in design, construction, financing, impact on residents’ lives and building thriving communities.”

The winner and five finalists, which were selected from 53 applications from over 21 states, were honored on February 5, 2009, during the 2009 Housing Policy Forum at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. The Forum features panels on housing affordability, standards and mixed-income development and other housing policy issues facing the state of California. The event is sponsored by the BRIDGE Housing Corporation, UC Berkeley’s Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics and the Urban Land Institute.

KTGY has won countless awards for its many mixed-income, affordable, workforce, senior and campus housing projects. Some of KTGY’s recent award-winning projects include: Casa del Maestro in Santa Clara, Calif., a pioneering public/private partnership, which created a high quality 40-unit apartment project for the district’s teaching pool which was completed – start to finish – in only two years; College Vista in San Mateo, Calif., a public/private partnership, which created a 44-unit apartment community for San Mateo’s community college faculty; Garden Grove Senior Apartments in Garden Grove, Calif., a high density, 100% affordable, 85-unit active adult community; and KTGY’s third student housing project at the University of California, Irvine, which will target gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system, will bring the total of campus beds designed by KTGY to over 4,000.

KTGY has many exciting affordable and workforce housing projects that are currently under construction or are in the design phase. Celebrating a recent ground breaking is Villaggio at Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., a thoughtfully-planned 166-unit mixed-income apartment community with approximately 80 percent of the units set aside for those who earn 35 percent to 60 percent of the area’s median income. The new Tuscan-inspired 10.54-acre development will consist of one, two and three-story buildings with spacious two and three-bedroom units, as well as a 5,600-square-foot community building, two tot lots, a pool and fitness center, business center, and an education center for residents. The project is a joint venture between Workforce Homebuilders LLC of Rancho Cucamonga, National Community Renaissance and Hope through Housing.

Established in 1991, KTGY GROUP, INC., Architecture and Planning, provides comprehensive planning and architectural design services for residential communities, retail developments, hospitality and related specialty projects. 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 throughout the U.S., KTGY maintains offices in Irvine, Oakland and Santa Monica, and in Denver. For more information, see www.ktgy.com.

About the I. Donald Terner Prize
The Terner Prize, a biennale award, recognizes successful and innovative affordable housing projects and their leadership teams. The $50,000 prize was created by colleagues, friends and family of I. Donald Terner. The purpose of the prize is to spread Terner’s vision and principles by identifying best practices in the field. The Terner Prize is administered by the Center for Community Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley. For more information visit http://communityinnovation.berkeley.edu/ternerprize.

About the Center for Community Innovation (CCI)
The Center for Community Innovation works on issues of interest to community clients: revitalizing neighborhoods, developing economic resilience, designing and programming for the public realm, and producing and preserving affordable housing. For more information visit http://communityinnovation.berkeley.edu/.