2012 Forecast: Achieving Attention to Detail

As markets gradually awaken from a multi-year sleep, we may be entering one of the most innovative, productive, and exciting periods for development in generations.  Growth projections by the Census Bureau for the United States, and in particular, the Sunbelt, are simply staggering.  Here, in Southern California, new development the equivalent of several ‘San Franciscos’ are projected, all in a region already impacted by some of the most congested roadways on Earth.  Squeezing in these new households, most generated from in-state births, will be a daunting challenge, bringing to focus Land Use, Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy & Water Resources, and even Food Production as predominant issues.  Is there be the political will to match the design imagination required to move forward?

Multifamily housing will become the most predominant building type for us to solve the housing portion of this growth.  Anticipating this trend, our firm has been working with clients to get ahead of the curve, resulting in several of our recent new communities opening to noteworthy market success.   Among the key trends, the most important is the old standard, “Location, Location, Location.”  But increasingly, the key locations most in demand are those infill sites, in existing downtowns, near transportation, jobs, restaurants and other urban amenities.  Additionally, sustainable design, particularly in energy conservation and accommodation of photovoltaic panels is now the norm.  And finally, creating more with less – spacious flexible designs, providing multi-generational-living design considerations, economizing building form and framing costs, etc.- have stimulated much thought and an increase in the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software by architects and builders to carefully hone their products with the latest technology.

In downtown Santa Ana, our recent Artist Village Lofts for City Ventures fills a hole in the City’s Artist Village with 16 attractive Urban Townhomes that quickly sold out.  They featured live/work space, zero-foot setbacks, and had no guest parking at a density of 25 du/ac., on downtown blocks surrounded by trendy restaurants and clubs.  Also in downtown Santa Ana, City Ventures and Related California/ Griffin Realty are set to begin construction on The Station District, a unique mix of 32 row homes and 100 podium and courtyard apartments located between the downtown and the railroad station.  The City is developing a plan to bring a Street Car back to the streets to link the station with the downtown and future connections to Los Angeles.

In downtown Santa Barbara, new housing opportunities near the historic core are rare, but our recently completed East Beach Collection for City Ventures transforms an antiquated commercial site into 48 new homes that incorporates a sustainable-design consciousness that appealed to targeted buyers and resulted in a targeted LEED-Silver designation.  The four buildings of 3-level Townhomes, some with tandem garages, create an attractive courtyard environment while concealing parking. 

The Downtown Collection in Brea, also for City Ventures, has attracted much attention with its combination of boulevard-fronting live/work, condo, and in-town single-family residences.  Brea is unique among Orange County cities in that it has the highest percentage of residents born in that City.  This urban project provides new homes for the next generation who want to stay in the town, but are attracted to a more urban environment.

Main Street Collection in downtown Alhambra, again for City Ventures, includes 58 podium condos over retail and restaurant space with subterranean parking, with 30 urban townhomes.  The highly urbanized location, on a major commercial and transit artery, is a key demonstration of incorporating these key trends in design.  The project, currently under construction, is targeted as LEED-Silver with a broad range of home types including Shopkeeper, Live/Work, Flats, Townhomes and Penthouses. 

All of these in-town, sustainable-design developments focus on careful attention to efficient parking design, restrained floor plans that provide flexible design features such as Great Rooms, nine-foot or greater ceilings, and ample storage.  Planning for thoughtful storage has been an increasingly important consideration as Cities are concerned about garages filling with things other than automobiles.  Many floor plans are designed with a flex-room which could be used for an at-home business, Grandma’s room, returning Son’s room, or even a roommate solution.  In townhomes, a ground-level bedroom has become one of the most requested design considerations.

Even Master Planned Communities have reawakened, but have also realized that they are need of makeovers as the new reality of the market and population projections are understood.  California’s landmark AB32 and SB375 Smart Growth Initiatives tie transportation capital allocations to increasing development intensities in targeted areas.  So, maybe our parking-focused suburban “Town Centers” that proliferated in the old Economy just may transform into something more fitting to their names. 

This may be the start of one of the most creative environments for the Building Community as we face more and more constraints while solving increasingly complex problems.  But understanding location-based amenities that create an rich, highly urban environment, coupled with serious attention to Sustainable Design practices and imaginative use of efficient spatial relations that provide flexibility to an extent never before imagined.  Welcome to the Future!