CIHA Wins National Award
CIHA Wins National Award
Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) and local architecture firm Koonce Pfeffer Bettis were recognized as among the "best of the best" in the seniors housing industry with a Gold Award for the design of Tyonek Terrace by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The award was presented during the 2006 Best of Seniors Housing Awards ceremony held in conjunction with the International Builders' Show in Orlando, Fla. The facility will be featured in an exhibit at Building for Boomers and Beyond: 50+ Housing Symposium in Phoenix, AZ, in April.
Sponsored by the NAHB Seniors Housing Council, the Best of Seniors Housing Awards has promoted excellence in the seniors housing industry for the past 14 years. This year, the Council presented 132 gold & silver awards in 58 categories to current and on-the-boards projects from across the United States and as far away as Japan. Design categories covered a range of product types such as active adult, aging in place, assisted living, continued-care retirement community, for-sale condominiums, rental apartments and renovated seniors housing. Tyonek Terrace was entered in the "Affordable Rental Apartments" category and was the only facility in this category to receive a Gold award for overall community design this year.
A 13-member panel of architects, builders, designers, marketing professionals and universal design specialists judged projects on how effectively they responded to the housing demands of the burgeoning 50+ market as well as their innovative architecture, interior designs and marketing. Projects were evaluated on their ability to meet the lifestyle requirements of the target market, examining the master plan, community facilities and model homes. They also were judged on criteria such as marketability, budget and their ability to overcome site challenges.
Tyonek Terrace offers 40 apartments (35 one-bedroom and 5 two-bedroom units) with a common living area, kitchen, library, TV room, grandchild playroom and an adjacent community barbeque and picnic area. Heated walkways are heavily landscaped and traverse the site to provide opportunities for the residents to get outside as much as possible. The facility is situated, along with five other CIHA elder apartment properties, in a secluded area in East Anchorage offering fantastic views of the Chugach Mountains.
The 20-unit Knik Corners received the Celebration of Anchorage Honor Award and the Winter City Design Award in 1998. The 75-unit Chickaloon Landing received a National Cultural Design Consultation Award from HUD in 1995, the Celebration of Anchorage Merit Award in 1996, and an Alaska Chapter AIA Award and a National Council on Senior Housing-Best of Affordable Senior Housing Award in 1997. Kenaitze Point received both a 2005 Platinum NAHB Senior Housing Council Award and 2005 NAHRO Agency Award of Excellence.
"Where we live can have a tremendous impact on our pride and our quality of life. At Cook Inlet Housing Authority we want to insure that our residents – especially our elders – have a home they can be proud of," said CIHA President and CEO Carol Gore. "We're also committed to enhancing Anchorage neighborhoods by constructing attractive, well designed housing. Partners like Koonce Pfeffer Bettis are invaluable in helping us achieve that goal."