The Sobrato Organization Begins Construction on KTGY-designed Eco-friendly Student Apartments

Oct. 19, 2010 - PRLog -- IRVINE, CALIF. - Award-winning KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, is pleased to announce construction of a new student housing community at Santa Clara University (SCU) in the Silicon Valley. The developer is The Sobrato Organization of Cupertino, a family-owned, privately held real estate investment organization focused on residential and office developments.

Upon completion in fall 2011, this new eco-friendly residential community, designed by KTGY, will provide 400 beds for the University’s junior and senior students.

“Santa Clara University is excited to have its first eco-friendly housing complex for students, especially since the university’s mission is to become more sustainable and climate neutral,” said Joe Sugg, assistant vice president of University Operations at SCU. “While we teach our students about the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling, the best way to lead is by example.”

SCU is committed to climate neutrality by 2015, meaning the University intends to have net zero carbon emissions by that year. The University has also implemented many energy efficiency measures to help reach this goal.

“This new development represents a partnership between Santa Clara University and The Sobrato Organization to ease the demand for on campus student housing,” said The Sobrato Organization’s Rich Truempler, director, development. “For over 50 years, the Sobrato Family has played a dynamic role in the emergence and growth of the Silicon Valley. We are very pleased to help Santa Clara University meet the needs of its growing student population and its sustainability and climate neutrality goals.”

The new student housing is located at 1260 Campbell Avenue on 5.18 acres of land in both the cities of Santa Clara and San Jose. The urban infill site is directly adjacent to SCU’s Stephen Schott Stadium and within easy walking distance to University classes and events as well as rail transit.

Designed under the Build It Green standards, which incorporates the latest in energy efficiency, indoor air quality, resource conservation and water conservation, the new housing is being built on the site of a former commercial/industrial building. Some of the eco-friendly design features include:

• Energy Star-rated lighting and windows
• Dark Sky compliant exterior lighting
• Water-saving fixtures in the bathrooms
• High efficiency dual-flush toilets
• Trash and recycling receptacles made from recycled content
• Zero volatile organic compound (VOC) interior paints and low VOC interior finishes and adhesives
• Building materials that contain recycled content and do not emit harmful chemicals

The thoughtfully-planned student apartment homes will range in size from one bedroom, one bath at 604 square feet to four bedrooms, two bathrooms at 1,382 square feet. The new student residential community will feature a 4,500-square-foot student services center, which includes a spacious multipurpose event room with a kitchen and support services facility. Outdoor amenities include social and recreation areas plus bike storage.

According to David Obitz, KTGY principal and lead designer for the project, the new student housing community and student services center will blend with SCU’s mix of Early California, Italianate, and contemporary themes.

“The new student residential community’s design concept and organization gathers the student housing around a series of greenbelt mews, anchored by a central courtyard. The sequential spaces are activated by two volleyball courts, a bocce ball court, multiple outdoor kitchen/barbecue and seating areas and plazas. All ‘roads’ lead to the hub of activity, the student services center,” added Obitz.

KTGY has won countless awards for its many campus, mixed-income, affordable, workforce, and senior housing projects. KTGY recently completed a new housing development for professors and staff of the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) as well as a 1,753-bed student housing development, which achieved LEED Gold on the campus of University of California, Irvine (UCI), KTGY's third UCI campus project. KTGY is currently designing three off-campus student apartment projects near several impacted campuses in the prime markets of San Diego, San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles. The sites are directly adjacent to or within ¾ mile of the main campuses. Developers are considering student housing developments as the market has shifted from condo-mania to for-rent product, Obitz stated.

About Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its more than 8,800 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, theology, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master’s universities, California’s oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.

About The Sobrato Organization
Since 1953, the Sobrato Family has played a pivotal role in shaping Silicon Valley with unique facilities that provide compelling benefits for forward-thinking companies. Founded by John A. Sobrato in 1979, The Sobrato Organization today remains a family-owned firm with no outside investors or joint venture partners. Led by chairman and founder John A. Sobrato and his son, John M. Sobrato, who serves as chief executive officer, the firm is known for its integrity and dedication. Today, Sobrato owns more than 86 commercial properties in the Silicon Valley and over 400 acres of land throughout Santa Clara and Alameda counties. Sobrato's office and R&D projects comprise 7.96 million square feet, most of which are Class A, mid-rise office buildings. The firm also owns 30 apartment communities totaling 7,300 units along the West Coast. For more information, see www.sobrato.com.

About KTGY Group, Inc.
Established in 1991, KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, provides 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, marketing and financial performance and takes particular pride in its highly motivated and principal led studios. Serving clients worldwide, KTGY maintains offices in Irvine, Oakland and Santa Monica, Calif., Denver, Colo., and Tysons Corner, Va. See www.ktgy.com.