KTGY Group Architecture + Planning associate principal Craig Chinn tells us new retail development surging meansshopping center owners have to reinvent themselves to hold market share: "Vacant big boxes are being recycled to accommodate single or multiple users, and with higher land and construction costs, renovating will continue to be a priority in 2013." he says. What sort of reinvention? Contemporary, clean lines; dark is out; LED lighting is in; and frameless glass storefronts are the choice. A minimalistic approach showcases a retailer's offerings.

In the last 12 months, Irvine-based KTGY completed about 20M SF of retail, with 8.8M SF under construction. The firm also rolled out its Mobile Design Studio, a design lab on wheels that would allows the company to deliver local architectural and planning services anywhere in the world, onsite. (Bonus points if they find a way to fit it in an airplane overhead compartment.) "We knew that being able to draw what the clients wanted, while right in front of them, was a tremendous advantage," Craig says.