KTGY Group is providing architectural design services for a new,mixed-use,183,000-square-foot graduate student housing project to be developed by Hanover Pacific in downtown Pomona,Calif.,adjacent to the campus of Western University of Health Sciences(WesternU),a private,non-profit graduate school for health professions.
Designed to LEED Silver specifications,the 3.3-acre project is a public/private partnership with the city's Redevelopment Agency,Vehicle Parking District,and Hanover Pacific,along with the support of Western University of Health Sciences(WesternU).Located at the northeast corner of East Third and Linden streets,the$37.4-million,four-story mixed-use development will provide 348 beds along with approximately 10,000 square feet to be used by WesternU.The city approved the project in May 2011.Entitlements are expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of this year,followed by 16 months of construction.
According to David Senden,a principal with Irvine-based KTGY Group,Inc.and the lead designer on the project,"With a nod to the new Health Education Center directly opposite and a'wink'to the color scheme and general massing of the group of buildings in Pomona that comprise WesternU,this mixed-use development fits right in,while continuing to up the style quotient of downtown Pomona."
"The idea was to give the students a completely up-to-date,contemporary home base,while at the same time providing state-of-the-art academic uses and office spaces on the ground floor,"Senden continued."Security,convenience,and affordable rents combined with a little bit of style will make this a desirable place for students of all ages.The building will be quite urban in its attitude to the street,but once entered,one will encounter two large,lush,private courtyards for the exclusive use of the residents.This development will be a respite and sanctuary from the rigors of academic life and the hustle of downtown."
The new graduate student living community includes a combination of single-and double-occupancy bedrooms with living space and a kitchen.The majority of the 208 units are two-bedroom,two-bath apartments.
"This new student housing community will be an asset to WesternU well into the future,not only because it will provide essential graduate student housing,but because the design and attention to the building's function are cutting-edge,"said Robert Y.Kim,executive managing director of Irvine-based Hanover Pacific."The well-planned units and building design encourage student interaction within the units,along the walkways,and also among different floors with the use of shared common areas,differently programmed lounges,and ample study areas on each floor.Additionally,the project supports the Redevelopment Agency's continued plan to strengthen the downtown business district and transform it into a vibrant downtown destination."
