Joe Starkman talks about a conversation he had with a young woman looking for her first home, about what she wanted and what was available.

With only place settings for four, four wine glasses and a couple of pots, she told him she didn't need plenty of cupboards.

Because she brought home much of her meals, the kitchen didn't have to be that large -- and because she didn't entertain all that much, there was no need for a big living room.

"There's a whole different lifestyle going on out there among young people," says Starkman, an ownership partner in Calgary-based Knightsbridge Homes.

The company is a joint-venture partner with Metropia Urban Landscapes of Toronto in the development of a mixed-use project called University City at the west end of the Brentwood shopping centre in Calgary. "Young people are thinking differently than they were just a couple of years ago, when we got land use approval," says Starkman. "Affordability is a big thing for them."

The first of five residential/ retail buildings in University City will have 216 apartments spread across 18 floors -- with sizes running from studio suites at 339 square feet and priced from $159,900, to two-bedroom/ two-bath units measuring 712 square feet and starting at $189,900.

Eighty-five of the suites are priced under $199,900 and two-thirds of them cost less than $250,000.

"We've designed the suites as efficiently as we could so residents are paying only for space they will be using," says Starkman.

There are seven different floor plans, and each floor will have seven two-bedroom units, four one-bedroom suites, and one studio apartment.

"We made some rather dramatic changes from our original concept for the building, a change that was dictated by the market and the economy," says Starkman. "We've been forced, in a good way, to be more creative in what we design and offer."

It's important -- what Starkman calls the "sweet spot" -- to keep the price below $300,000. "Any higher than that and sales will be tougher to get."

The first tower, which could break ground as soon as next spring, has a contemporary look to it -- and so will the second. Both will cater to young professionals.

A third building will key on seniors and will include an assisted living element, while a fourth building will focus on empty nesters and semi-retired folks.

No definite market segment has been attached to the fifth building.

University City is a response to the city's strategy of developing mixed-use area close to public transit -- and is also a response to the desires of Brentwood residents, says Howard Sokolowski, CEO of Metropia.

He calls University City a first-class development that will service the needs of the local community.

As well, it responds to city officials' desire for densification, a key part of the city's Plan It growth strategy.

"Without question, we had to respond to change," says Sokolowski. "The city had to think outside the box, as we did, and the beneficiaries will be the community of Brentwood."

DID YOU KNOW?

Some facts about the companies behind the development:

- Knightsbridge Homes has become known as a niche design/ build firm with the ability to create unique architectural solutions for all their projects. From its beginnings in 1990 focusing on inner-city infill housing, the company has expanded its focus to include work acreage communities and multifamily housing. University City is its first highrise development.

- Headed by CEO Howard Sokolowski, Metropia Urban Landscapes is a Toronto-based real estate development company devoted to urban development and renewal. Sokolowski was formerly CEO of Tribute Communities, which is one of the larger homebuilders in Ontario.