KKE's design wins Gold in 50+ Housing competition

KKE’s design for Santa Barbara Palms wins Gold Award
in 2008 NAHB 50+ Housing competition

MINNEAPOLIS -- KKE Architects, Inc. won a Gold Award in the 2008 NAHB 50+ Housing Council for its design of Santa Barbara Palms, an affordable, energy-efficient, multi-housing property for seniors being built in the Las Vegas area. Held May 20th in New Orleans, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Best of 50+ Housing Awards are considered the premier design and marketing competition for the seniors housing industry.
 
Winning in the Multifamily “On the Boards” Income Qualified Rental category, the Santa Barbara Palms is configured into two three-story units, with a total of 120 one- and two-bedroom apartments. With total construction costs estimated at $20 million, the 120 units with rent-restricted, affordable leases are anticipated to start at $352/month when the property opens in August 2010.
 
Located in a mature Nevada neighborhood, Santa Barbara Palms enables residents to “age in place” near family, friends and familiar services. According to AARP, more than 84% of people age 50 and older want to stay in their homes as they age. NAHB’s research supports this and reports, “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.”
 
A 2007 NAHB poll of housing-minded consumers found energy efficiency was a top concern. Helping Santa Barbara Palms conserve financial and environmental resources, the residential complex is designed in adherence with ENERGY STAR requirements. To earn ENERGY STAR certification, these homes must include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20% to 30% more efficient than standard homes and save up to 15% on energy costs. Toward this goal, Santa Barbara Palms showcases high-performance windows, reversible ceiling fans, a solar-heated outdoor pool, and water-conserving zeroscape desert landscaping.
 
To enjoy the natural setting, all apartments will provide residents with a patio or balcony. Additional amenities will include a 5,000-square-foot clubhouse that features a full kitchen, media/library room, computer/business center and Internet access, crafts room, billiards room, piano bar, laundry rooms, health room and fitness center, and a spa.
 
Architect Steve Rogers of KKE’s Las Vegas office noted that one of his major design challenges on the Santa Barbara Palms project was the site’s shape: “The challenge with long and narrow sites is trying to achieve the necessary density, while also maintaining comfortable open spaces for residents to dwell, both interior and exterior. By successfully marrying the two, Santa Barbara Palms creates an attractive appeal for the residents, and makes an affordable development live and feel like an upscale resort. It was very rewarding to design this project, pull it off, and be recognized for it.”
 
George Gekakis, Inc., the developer/builder of Santa Barbara Palms, has been building affordable senior housing in the Las Vegas Valley since the mid-1990s. “It is our commitment to provide a development of quality and safety for our residents; one that will be an asset to the neighborhood, and will be a force in the process of  relieving the problem of affordable housing in Las Vegas,” said Gekakis.
 
“The caliber of competition was high this year, both in the active adult and service-enriched categories, and the marketing entries clearly reflect emerging trends,” added Doug Van Lerberghe, the 2008 chairman of the Best of 50+ Housing Awards Committee. “It’s obvious that builders, architects and marketing professionals better understand what today’s mature buyers want, and how to communicate with them.”
 
About the 50+ Housing Council
Since 1989, the 50+ Housing Council has served the special needs and interests of NAHB members and others in the housing industry that build for the growing 50+ market. The 50+ Housing Council provides information, education and research to its members and offers advocacy support to NAHB members on key 50+ housing issues
 
About KKE Architects, Inc.
KKE Architects, Inc. is a full-service firm providing a wide range of architectural, interior design and comprehensive planning services. Founded in 1968, this award-winning company has grown to become one of the Top 50 architectural firms in the country.