Happy New Year!

We’re looking forward to a great 2013! Take a peek at a letter written by Eric Brown, Vice President of Client Resources for a preview of what WHA has in store for the upcoming year.

Dear Friend,

Happy New Year!  We were all excited that 2012 brought renewed optimism to the housing industry.  During the first half of last year, as investors scrambled to purchase the last of the bargain distressed resale homes, many of our most successful builders were busy designing innovative product unavailable in the resale market.  Now as we enter 2013 many of those builders are ready to meet the new homebuyer demand for better housing. 

The emerging new generation of buyers, and those that are coming back to home ownership, have a new perspective on what they feel is important in a home.  During this past year, in conjunction with a number of our clients, we have become involved in some exciting prototypical design projects that will give our builders a competitive edge in the marketplace.  We are designing more efficient homes that provide greater flexibility, better technology and more indoor/outdoor living integration than ever before.  Additionally, many of our plan concepts are more streamlined, creating quicker plan turnaround times and ultimately less cost to build for our clients. 

Cohesive Land Planning and Residential and Commercial Design continues to be our foundation.  Our emphasis this year is on balancing sensible density and product diversity to create neighborhoods and communities that offer a holistic mix of public and private spaces appropriate for the location.  We are looking at new innovative uses of space to maximize livability inside and outside the home in our high-density, single-family and multi-family products.

As a firm, we have spent countless hours of time researching and identifying the characteristics of great places.  From public parks and urban spaces, to retail stores and restaurants, and single-family homes and apartments, we have categorized the nuances that give some places a special feeling over other similar places. 

Our Urban Design Department has been especially busy using this research for its “cultural experience” design ideas and urban form ”flexible-use” concepts.  Our portfolio includes many commercial / retail, mixed-use urban centers and transit-oriented designs, from live/work row homes to mid-rise and high-rise developments.

Adding to our knowledge base has been our continuing work in the International arena.  Understanding diverse cultures such as Central and South America, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Egypt, India, Algeria, China, Cambodia and Vietnam, and adapting plans for their environment and lifestyle, provides us a greater perspective on design and livability. 

WHA’s 32 years of experience includes other diverse areas such as Faculty and Student Housing; which has become a growing segment of our work.  We also currently have numerous product types in Senior Housing such as Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC’s), Memory Care Facilities, Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Active Adult Residential Communities.

Our Rendering and 3D Graphic Studio continues to enhance our presentations and provide and effective and visual tool during the design process and Placewright Design at WHA provides complete branding, logo design, sales collateral and materials, web design, and a host of other creative medians to present and market a company, project or community.  We are proud that Placewright has continued to receive award-winning recognition again this year for its work on a number of developments.

With all this experience, WHA loves clients that challenge us.  From a traditional single-family community, to an urban redevelopment area, resort, or masterplanned community, we want to work with clients that want to stand out from the competition.  Let’s sit down and discuss you next development concept.  We will help bring your vision to reality.  

Sincerely,