"You Spoke...We Listened...Design Matters"

Oct. 6, 2012 - PRLog -- IRVINE, CALIF. - Award-winning national firm KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture + Planning, is pleased to announce that residential thought leaders from KTGY, Executive Director Nick Lehnert and Principal Chris S. Texter, AIA, LEED AP, are participating as speakers at the 12th Annual Southwest Builders Show (SWBS) on October 17, 2012, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The event, which is sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona (HBACA), is Arizona's largest business-to-business show for home builders, trades, and building industry suppliers located in the Southwest region.

Mollie Carmichael, a principal with John Burns Real Estate Consulting, will join Lehnert and Texter in their presentation of "You Spoke...We Listened...Design Matters," from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The panel of experts will discuss today's consumer design preferences and what consumers want in their next home and community.

"We will show some of KTGY's latest designs that are providing new design solutions for today’s lifestyle based upon the results of John Burns Real Estate Consulting leading-edge research," said Lehnert. One of KTGY's recent designs, an innovative single-family detached residential community, won a Grand Award in the 2012 Gold Nugget Award competition.

"Research shows that today's consumers not only prefer to purchase a single-family detached home over attached, but they also want a home that has a sleek, contemporary, sustainable design, with flexible open floor plans that capitalizes on spacious indoor/outdoor living," said Carmichael.

"Homebuilders need to recognize that today's homebuyers need a compelling reason to buy a home in today's economic climate," noted Texter. "They need to get excited about what they see... from the moment that they drive up the street. The street scene is just as important as what is on the inside."

According to Texter, "The new homes are not only competing amongst themselves but also against numerous new apartment communities that offer luxury, resort-style living with endless amenities. The job of the builder (and the architect) is to convert 'renters-by choice' into homebuyers."

"A builder must create a market niche to differentiate its homes in the marketplace and build homes that are truly reflective of the real needs of each particular market," said Carmichael. "This requires an investment in research --  but the return on investment is very well worth it!"

Lehnert said, "Those that don't see the value of this will lose home sales to those that do."

"KTGY is committed to the understanding of the homeowner and socio-economic trends and interpreting them through fresh, inventive design solutions to create successful projects," Lehnert said. "And, we look forward to showing some of our latest designs at the show."

Texter added, "The collaboration between KTGY, John Burns Real Estate Consulting and our clients drives results -- creating market niches and setting new standards for leading-edge, design, innovation and the future of home buying. This is an exciting time for homebuilding!"

Carmichael is a senior vice president at John Burns Real Estate Consulting. She is passionate about guiding strategic planning decisions with consumer and market based methodologies in order to optimize financial results. For 21+ years, she has helped companies increase profits dramatically by understanding the market and consumer first. Before joining the John Burns team, Carmichael served as a vice president of strategic marketing for Lennar, Centex Homes, Pulte Homes / Del Webb and The Irvine Company, where she led strategic planning, target land acquisition strategies, acquisition and market study due diligence, consumer and product segmentation, quantitative and qualitative consumer research, competitive research, as well as tactical media planning, model and sales office merchandising. Carmichael is based in the firm's Irvine office.

As executive director at KTGY, Lehnert applies his knowledge of the consumer within the building industry to develop innovative residential design concepts. Prior to joining KTGY, Lehnert’s 40-plus year career in home building includes being an owner/partner in marketing and sales disciplined companies, vice president of strategic marketing and product development for Centex Homes, South Coast Division, as well as vice president of sales and marketing for KB Homes, Zellner Communities and Distinguished Homes.

Lehnert supports the 185-person firm at KTGY and maintains a leadership role in the industry through an aggressive research and development program. He is active in strategic marketing, branding and business development efforts. And he maintains this high level of understanding by continually asking the question “What if?” It is critical that an architectural firm understands the consumer as well, if not better, than the builder. KTGY’s goal is to have deeper conversations with the consumer and develop “WHAT IF” concepts for the buyer to help the builder reach the highest level of understanding possible for the way people live. KTGY's research and development is continually designing new ideas, new ways and new concepts for builders to be more successful and homeowners to be more satisfied.

Texter is a member of KTGY's board of directors and a partner and brings over 22 years of experience in residential architecture. Concentrating on residential communities, he commands a technical expertise and experience to achieve the client’s goals. This has lead to the successful completion of many residential developments, representing thousands of homes throughout the southwestern states. Texter's primary focus and expertise on design development and construction documents is instrumental in delivering quality projects on time and within budget. He supervises entitlements, leads project teams, achieves jurisdictional approvals and manages construction services. He excels in the resolution of complex challenges including difficult sites, tight budgets, and scheduling concerns and is often called upon for his keen knowledge and talent in code interpretation, leading to unique solutions and innovative designs for KTGY’s clients.

For more info on 12th Annual Southwest Builders Show or to register, visit:  http://www.hbaca.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr...

About The Home Builders Association of Central Arizona
The Home Builders Association of Central Arizona (HBACA) is a trade association for the residential construction and development industry. The HBACA represents nearly 1,000 firms with more than 50,000 employees, and serves as the "Voice of the Residential Construction Industry. The Association provides a forum through which these businesses can work together to remain informed regarding new and proposed policies advanced by the local, state and federal governments which affect the housing industry. The Association acts as a source of timely and reliable information concerning the state of the local building industry and works to eliminate overly restrictive and costly building laws and regulations that drive up the cost of housing. See www.hbaca.org.

About KTGY Group
Celebrating 20 years, KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, is a national award-winning firm providing 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, market trends and financial performance. Serving clients worldwide, KTGY maintains offices in Irvine, Oakland and Santa Monica, Calif., Denver, Colo., and Tysons Corner, Va. See www.ktgy.com.