SAN FRANCISCO--(Business Wire)--
In the midst of the global economic crisis, KMD Architects remains highly active
by relying on a combination of affordable housing, sustainable design, and
international projects. To meet the growing need for affordable housing in the
city of San Francisco, construction is nearing completion on the KMD
Architects-designed 250,000 SF mixed-use project in the South of Market
neighborhood adjacent to the Mid-Market Redevelopment Agency area. Mercy Housing
Towers provides 135 family and 107 senior housing units, a youth center planned
to serve both the resident population and youngsters in the surrounding
neighborhood, and a small retail component at street level. The project consists
of a 12-story and an 11-story building connected by an elevated split-level
terrace on the rooftop of an at-grade parking garage, providing a secure area
for outdoor activities for the residents. Mercy Housing, a non-profit developer,
has participated in the development, preservation and/or financing of more than
35,700 affordable residences, both rental and single family, serving more than
117,000 people on any given day.
Mercy Housing Towers represents one of many projects KMD Architects has
undertaken as part of its mission to create socially responsible buildings that
will support and enhance the community and revitalize neighborhoods. This
mission also informs the firm`s emphasis on sustainable design, creating
buildings that are more durable, safe, and pleasant and that increase occupant
health and performance while reducing resource use. Examples include the firm`s
recent pro-bono work for the City of San Francisco in generating a sustainable
master plan for the historic Civic Center as well as the firm`s design for the
San Francisco City Public Utilities Commission Building in the Civic Center.
"This building exceeds the requirements for the US Green Building Council`s
LEEDTM Platinum certification and is currently targeted to be the greenest
building in the U.S. in terms of energy efficiency and onsite power production,"
says KMD principal David Hobstetter.
KMD`s global practice has allowed the firm to extend its green focus to other
countries, including Korea, China, and Mexico, where the firm is designing a
wide range of sustainable structures. KMD is also experiencing solid growth
throughout Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, part of an emerging trend
toward reliance on consulting services provided by U.S. architects. "At an
increasingly rapid pace, development money is looking for new markets around the
world," said KMD Chairman Juan Diego Perez-Vargas. "KMD provides the catalytic
energy and the design expertise in visioning and creating new projects that
attract capital and leading international developers."
About KMD
Since 1963, San Francisco-based KMD (Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz) has been a leader
in green building and sustainable design, with completed projects in over 30 US
states and 15 countries around the world. In the past two decades we have won
200 design awards and international design competitions, including over forty
awards from the AIA. The company`s web site is at www.kmdarchitects.com.
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KMD
Samuel Fajner, 415-398-5191
fajner@kmd-arch.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009
