Happy Holidays from e group

All of us join in wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season and a happy New Year

e group plans to update corporate identity

With the recent industry wide changes to our profession and similar changes at our own firm, e group has decided that the time was right to update and streamline our corporate identity a bit. Please let us know what you think. Thanks!

New e group Urban Park Design "Ayala Triangle Gardens" gains praise for enhancing Makati Central Business District

The Manila Publication of "Arts and Culture" recently released an article praising the new e group Urban Park Design "Ayala Triangle Gardens" for enhancing The Makati Central Business District. The civic space at the convergence of three major thoroughfares in Makati CBD is considered to be the largest Urban Garden in the area at 20,000 sqare meters.

Berlin Agave Yucca Forest Exhibit

Berlin Agave Yucca Forest Exhibit

e group begins preliminary work on new Fonatur land planning project in Bajos de Coyula - Huatulco, Mexico

e group is currently working on another Fonatur land planning project for a 8000+ hectares of land near Huatulco, Oaxaca Mexico with sub-tropical climate, pristine sandy beaches and turquoise blue ocean. Project is surrounded by a national park and will contribute a large percentage of the property as open space. There are four existing villages as well as existing agricultural fields and mangroves along the coast that are carefully incorporated in the land plan to assure a sustainable legacy. The real estate components include several resort sites, marina village and yacht club, new beach town center, new cultural town center, new nature learning center as well as residential development ranging from single family residential golf estates and villas to high density condominiums.

e group officially moves main office to new Scottsdale location

The e group USA office has officially moved to its new Scottsdale location. Please update your records with our new address:

7337 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd.
Suite C-165
Scottsdale, AZ 85258

Tel. 602-462-9000

Fax. 602-462-9001

Download announcement: http://www.egroupinc.com/pdf/announcement.pdf

e group welcomes the 2009 Greenbuild Expo to Phoenix!

As e group welcomes the 2009 Greenbuild Expo to Phoenix we proudly announce having made great strides to drastically reduce our physical office space and become a more virtual effort focused on green economy service. We've begun to diminish our carbon foot print by reducing commuting, office scale, and associated utilities etc. Improvements include a leaner, meaner attitude when it comes to producing paper, reducing weekly commutes for some employees from 300 miles to 40 and using technology to reduce our overall carbon emissions. We are excited to lead the change in green planning, sustainable development, green infrastructure, and carbon neutral communities.

Canalscape renderings by e group and Thompson Pollari Architects

To help foster the development of an "Authentic Desert Urbanism for Metro Phoenix," the AIA Phoenix Metro Chapter, in conjunction with ASU's Canalscape Symposium sponsored a Professional Design Competition for projects adjacent the city's canal banks. e group teamed up with Thompson Pollari Architects and others to compose "Ingleside Inn at Arizona Falls" It was one of approximately 20 entries displayed at the AIA's open house. The winning Canalscape entries will be displayed at the 2009 Greenbuild Expo in Phoenix, Arizona.

Read about Canalscape and the 2009 Greenbuild Expo in the Arizona Republic article on the preceeding post.

Arizona Republic Article: Canalscape stirs world's interest

Canalscape stirs world's interest

Southeast Asia Building Magazine features e group and their design work in the Newport City project in Manila, Philippines

Download article: http://www.egroupinc.com/pdf/sab.pdf

Exerpt from article:

"Newport City is a sprawling development with few buildings and a large portion of land dedicated for the parks and resort – a complete hideaway in the city. To fulfill the experience, EGroup – the architectural consultant of the structure, gave focus in its landscape structure which plays an important role yet preserves its corporate appeal. The landscape fabric ties the different areas together ultimately providing that resort experience."

Bob Thompson's Got Talent!

A vintage cartoon drawn by Bob Thompson circa 1975. It depicts his former boss (Richard Emik)at his drafting table reading the news about his new office opening in Ketchum, Idaho.

e group Hosts The Historic Garfield District - 11th St. Pedestrian Improvement Open House Meeting

The first project Open house was held to present the project scope and identify the existing conditions to the general public and was hosted by Project Manager Jason Harrington. A summary of our field research was presented and 4 large scale boards of the project area. An aerial photo on 2 boards was presented describing the project area and identifying key elements within the corridor. The third board presented included an existing typical R/W section and an inventory of the existing trees within the project limits. The fourth and last board described the major issues relating to the project with sample images of each issue in a collage format. The major issues identified were ADA access, pavement conditions and types, Crime Prevention / CPTED issues, and historical features. E group will be taking the comments received from the community input and developing a concept during future stages. A second open house will be conducted later this fall.

e group presents banquet facility design to Gila River Indian Community

Earlier today e group presented the master plan for a unique garden banquet facility for the Gila River Indian Community. The project is incorporating a natural farm, olive grove, outdoor cooking facility, amphitheater and lawn event space, farmer's market and pumpkin patch among others features into a interactive garden that will be incorporated into a new banquet facility. Randsom Brown is managing the project.

e group unveils the design presentation of a private yacht club, marina and hotel in Shenzhen, China

e group is working on the landscape architecture design for this contemporary architecture design private yacht club, marina and hotel in Shenzhen, China. The project includes a Lover’s boardwalk with iconic towers, yacht events and water plazas with nautical motifs , restaurants and outdoor activity areas. The hotel itself will have a infinity pool, waterfall and rock climbing walls with lush gardens and beach volleyball court. There will be a fishing dock and associated lagoon. Check out the presentation by clicking the following link and selecting the "featured design" link.

http://www.egroupinc.com/resorts

Manzanita Senior Center conceptual design options presented to the City of Phoenix

e group recently teamed up with CCBG and UEB Builders to present qualifications and conceptual ideas to the City of Phoenix for their new senior recreation center.

Completed Illustrative Master Plan for the Vanke Master Plan Development in China project

e group teamed up with SB-Architects in San Francisco to provide the Illustrative Master Plan for the Vanke Master Plan Development in China. Thanks for all the hard work and long nights Eugene!

Professional Design Competition boards unveiled at AIA Phoenix Metro Chapter on Thursday night.

To help foster the development of an "Authentic Desert Urbanism for Metro Phoenix," the AIA Phoenix Metro Chapter, in conjunction with ASU's Canalscape Symposium sponsored a Professional Design Competition for projects adjacent the city's canal banks. e group teamed up with Thompson Pollari Architects and others to compose "Ingleside Inn at Arizona Falls" It was one of approximately 20 entries displayed at the AIA's open house on Thursday evening.

e group submits "Butterfly Jungle" design concept

Click the following link to view the 30+ page "Butterfly Jungle" design concept presentation prepared by e group. A special pat on the back goes out to Randsom for his excellent work on this presentation.

http://www.egroupinc.com/butterfly

Design Development of the Vanke Master Plan continues...

e group is currently teaming up with SB-Architects in San Francisco to provide the Conceptual Design for the Vanke Master Plan Development in China. Thanks for the hard work and long night Eugene!

e group, the original green environmental design company

e group has recently made great strides to drastically reduce our physical office space and become a more virtual effort focused on green economy service. We've begun to diminish our carbon foot print by reducing commuting, office scale, and associated utilities etc. Improvements include a leaner, meaner attitude when it comes to producing paper, reducing weekly commutes for some employees from 300 miles to 40 and using technology to reduce our overall carbon emissions. We are excited to lead the change in green planning, sustainable development, green infrastructure, and carbon netrual communities.

El Cortezal entry concept takes shape

The first concept sketches are being developed for an entry design into a new project called El Cortezal in Guadalajara which is very difficult terrain. The slopes are at 40% and steeper but the client wants 500 units on the property so we will be designing a lot of walls.

Design Development of the "Butterfly Jungle USA" continues

Butterfly Jungle USA is a butterfly garden / tropical jungle attraction housed in a Hacienda style event space and botanical garden conservatory. Visitors become "explorers" and experience an adventure through a tropical jungle with waterfalls, streams full of fish, tropical birds, jungle mammals and thousands of butterflies dancing on the flora and around "ancient ruins".

e group is pleased to announce the completion and opening of Midfirst Bank at Power Marketplace

In terms of small retail-pad scale projects, this banks landscape is breathtaking. Use of boulders, native plant materials, specimen Ironwood trees and a multitude of Agave species lends this site a low-maintenance character and aesthetic not usually seen in that size and type of project. egroups work included Landscape, Irrigation, Hardscape and some unique features and finishes as designed by Hans Stoll, in concert with DAVIS Architects. We invite anyone to swing by and look at the project.

e group pushed to Friday deadline for Master Planning Presentation

Due to a recent Susan Roberts request, e group has promised to design a web based Master Planning Presentation by Friday. Good luck Tona & Matt!

Old Bethany Home Office Photo Surfaces

This photo was taken at the old e group Phoenix E. Bethany Home office location. It is belived to be over 12 years old. Enjoy!

Sonoran Quarterly Article

Berlin Agave-Yucca Forest Planning and Design Begins

By Elaine McGinn,
Director of Planning and Exhibits

Design development for the Garden's newest initiative, the Berlin Agave-Yucca Forest, began in March with the selection of e group as the landscape design firm. e group is a Phoenix based company that has 30 years experience in working with desert landscapes. Their firm includes landscape architects, horticulturists, and planning and graphic specialists.

Located south of Sybil B. Harrington Succulent Gallery, the new exhibit will provide visitors with a unique opportunity to view the diverse agave and nolina families. Interpretation will reinforce concepts about desert plant adaptations and their horticultural and historical significance to the gardens living collection.

The schematic design concept for the Agave-Yucca Forest is best described as an exaggerated boulder experience blanketed and edged by agaves, yuccas, and nolinas, providing a sense of enclosure and immersion.

Funded by a generous gift from Howard and Joy Berlin to Tending the Garden Campaign, the Berlin Yucca-Agave Forest is scheduled to open in November 2009. Construction for the new exhibit will begin in July and continue through the fall.

Another vintage photo surfaces of Bob and Mark

Picture is titled "The Intrepid Twosome" dated July 4th, 1985 Petit Lake, Idaho

e group recognized for Arizona Diamondbacks Charities player fields volunteer work

e group was recently recognized for our volunteer efforts on the Arizona Diamondbacks Charities player fields. This recent recognition was for the work we did on Doug Davis field. Here is a picture of Jason Harrington representing e group at Chase Field.

Option 1 and 2 Entry Schemes Unveiled for MK Haikou North Project, Hainan, Chinaa

e group furthers master planned design development for Yucatan Peninsula property

e groups Latin America and Manila offices continue to further the design development of the Chichen Itza Master plan. The 4,000 acre proposed Master Planned Community is adjacent to the famous Chichen Itza Archaeological Site on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The site is quite unique because of the abundance of cenotes. Way to go Irene and Paul.

Historic Photo of Phoenix Office Surfaces

Kurt Schneider and Matt Blanchard discovered this historic photo of the e group Phoenix office. It once was the Packard dealership showroom for Phoenix, Ariz., circa 1928. The Packard automobile is parked right where Matt's messy cubicle currently resides. Clean up your desk Matt!