Manny Gonzalez – 2015 Marvin Hall of Fame Award Winner
Builder
September 10, 2015
These four design pros share the rare ability to translate home buyers’ wants into beautiful homes and communities.
This year’s Wm S. Marvin Hall of Fame for Design Excellence honorees are the creative minds behind many of the country’s most stunning residential projects. From innovative production housing to one-off custom dwellings and exceptional planned developments, these four pros are setting the pace for the industry by responding to customers’ needs and desires. Click on the links below for full profiles.
Manny Gonzalez As senior partner in KTGY’s Los Angeles office, architect Manny Gonzalez is responsible for the design, land planning, and production of residential and mixed-use developments throughout the U.S., including active adult and affordable multifamily communities. Throughout his more than 25 years of practice, he has studied the types of homeowners who will dwell in his homes and how they want to live. Gonzalez started designing for the active adult demographic 20 years ago, long before the term existed.
One thing Gonzalez has learned from talking to older home buyers and being part of the baby boom demographic himself is that “people want to thrive in place—not age—and from an architect’s standpoint that means rethinking the way we put a house together,” he says.
David Lake and Ted Flato Since founding their firm in 1984, David Lake and Ted Flato have made it their mission to design buildings that communicate not just an aesthetic but a way of living with the land. Recipients of the 2004 AIA National Firm Award and more than 150 design awards, the duo’s work has grown from family retreats on Texas ranches to include libraries, hotels, and urban mixed-use projects. In March, the firm will open an Austin office to expand their influence in the urban realm.
Their enthusiasm for conserving resources, engaging nature, and nurturing healthy living fits well with today’s increased environmental awareness. Whether the firm is designing a home or an arts center, “it’s about leveraging what’s around you,” Flato says. “We see our buildings as one of a number of building blocks, trying to make a larger place better.”
Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki Newland Communities’ Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki is a central part of the San Diego–based developer’s team that works with local partners to create new communities. The 45-year-old company partners with national and local builders to create new developments in some of the country’s hottest markets, including Seattle, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.
Slavik-Tsuyuki advocates for the buyer by using market research to guide her team to develop projects that will resonate with buyers across 14 states. The value of master planned communities is increasing, she says, as studies show the impact of a development is more significant than a house to new buyers. “It’s more important than ever to listen to customer feedback and put places on the ground that people really want to live in,” she says.
Related Story: 2015 Marvin Design Awards: Manny Gonzalez
KTGY senior partner predicts a transformation in the way houses are built. Read more
