IRVINE, CA - Award-winning KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, is pleased to announce the completion of its design of three single-family homes for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County at Yorba Linda Avenue and Park Avenue in Yorba Linda, Calif. Habitat for Humanity will unveil the three new homes at 4965 Park Avenue on Saturday, November 21, 2009. Registration and refreshments start at 9:30 a.m. and the program begins at 10:00 a.m. This is Habitat for Humanity of Orange County's first homes built in Yorba Linda.
One affordable Habitat home will be dedicated in a traditional Habitat ceremony. The keys to this home will be presented to the family who built the home and who will now purchase this home under the regular Habitat model. This will be Habitat's 135th home in Orange County. Two homes will be sold to moderate-income families who will secure their own financing under Habitat for Humanity of Orange County's new "Mixed-Income Model." Habitat's "Mixed-Income Model," which includes homes for low-income and moderate-income families within the same development, will provide more workforce housing for families in Orange County.
KTGY donated its architectural services as well as assisted in the construction of these craftsman-style homes in Yorba Linda on "Build Day." Earlier in the year, in recognition of KTGY's considerable contributions to Habitat for Humanity, KTGY was awarded Habitat for Humanity's 2009 Dream Builder Award at the organization's Fifth Annual "Doorways to the Future" gala awards dinner and auction. Habitat for Humanity of Orange County is dedicated to ending substandard housing and building strong communities in Orange County and the Dream Builder Award recognizes those companies that have made a substantial donation of time and resources to Habitat for Humanity of Orange County.
"Many thanks to Jill Williams, Tien Shen and their entire team from KTGY for designing such beautiful homes," said Mark Korando, senior vice president, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. "We look forward to working with KTGY in the future to create more attractive, affordable homes for hard-working families in Orange County."
KTGY has been committed to working with Habitat for Humanity throughout northern and southern California. Recently, KTGY was called upon to develop the next series of homes for Habitat for Humanity in northern California, which will be going after LEED Platinum status. Last year, KTGY designed and assisted with the building of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County's four homes in Anaheim on East Julianna Street.
KTGY's team of experienced single-family architects are able to make the best use of all the available square footage on a small infill site to create attractive, very livable and comfortable homes that are in harmony with the neighborhood. "The land plan is as important as the exterior design," says Yorba Linda's project designer Jill Williams, AIA and principal with KTGY. "Also, it is important that the homes are not only of a high quality, but also take advantage of a certain simplicity in framing since Habitat for Humanity uses a volunteer workforce."
Williams adds, "These three homes in Yorba Linda carry on the beautiful, historic precedent of this great neighborhood with sitting porches, two-car garages turned to the rear and accessed from a private drive, and a material palette that is reminiscent of the era with shingles and clapboard siding."
As part of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County's "mixed-income model," two of the three-bedroom homes will house a family earning up to 120 percent of the area median income ($100,900 for a family of four) and one for a family earning 50 percent of the area median income ($46,500 for a family of four). Habitat families are required to provide 500 hours of "sweat equity" to help build their own home, assist another Habitat family build a home, or work in some other part of the Habitat organization.
"It is exciting to help end substandard housing and provide hardworking families with an opportunity to share in the American Dream of homeownership," William adds. KTGY has considerable experience designing market rate housing as well as affordable and workforce housing working with leading non-profit housing developers like Jamboree Housing, BRIDGE Housing and South County Housing Corporation. Earlier this year, KTGY celebrated the grand opening of Jamboree Housing Corporation’s Diamond Apartment Homes in Anaheim, a pioneering green multifamily development that provides both housing and mental health supportive services for previously homeless individuals and their families in Orange County. In addition to Diamond Apartment Homes, KTGY has designed and completed several other affordable apartment communities for Jamboree Housing including Monarch Pointe Apartment Homes in Anaheim, Ceres Court Apartment Homes in Fontana, and Granite Court in Irvine.
"What a great way to participate in building communities of hope, dignity and self-worth through the construction of quality, affordable housing," says Tricia Esser, KTGY's CEO. "Today, corporate social responsibility goes far beyond the old philanthropy of the past - donating money to good causes at the end of the financial year - and is instead an all year round responsibility that companies must accept for the environment around them, for the best working practices, and for their engagement with the local and world communities. We at KTGY are sincerely dedicated to making a difference in the communities where we work, live, play and design."
KTGY is also an active supporter of HomeAid, the charitable arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Currently, KTGY has a project under construction in northern California for the developmentally disabled. This project, located in Hayward, is a joint venture between HomeAid of Northern California and Emerald Glen Homes in the site development and construction of five six-bedroom homes. Emerald Glen is a not-for-profit organization committed to providing quality homes and special support to the adult and aging developmentally disabled population of Alameda County and Hayward.
Source: KTGY Group, Inc