In the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles, a new affordable multifamily housing project using shipping containers resulted in 24 micro-units for formerly unhoused residents, according to Fast Company. (View photos of the project here.)
The containers were acquired from a nearby port and converted into housing units at a factory. The modular construction approach reduced labor costs significantly. The cost of an affordable apartment in L.A. can run more than $700,000, while units at this project cost about $448,000, including the cost of land.
Each 320 sf apartment was made from two shipping containers. The 20-foot containers were joined together and include a kitchen along one wall, a bathroom, and space for a sofa that doubles as a bed. Windows were sized nearly from floor to ceiling, yielding extensive daylighting. Containers were also used to build community and laundry rooms, a unit for an on-site manager, and a room for bike parking.
Containers are not practical for many types of residential construction, often requiring extensive modification, but worked well in this micro-apartment setting.
Related Stories
MFPRO+ New Projects | May 29, 2024
Two San Francisco multifamily high rises install onsite water recycling systems
Two high-rise apartment buildings in San Francisco have installed onsite water recycling systems that will reuse a total of 3.9 million gallons of wastewater annually. The recycled water will be used for toilet flushing, cooling towers, and landscape irrigation to significantly reduce water usage in both buildings.
Mass Timber | May 17, 2024
Charlotte's new multifamily mid-rise will feature exposed mass timber
Construction recently kicked off for Oxbow, a multifamily community in Charlotte’s The Mill District. The $97.8 million project, consisting of 389 rental units and 14,300 sf of commercial space, sits on 4.3 acres that formerly housed four commercial buildings. The street-level retail is designed for boutiques, coffee shops, and other neighborhood services.
Senior Living Design | May 16, 2024
Healthy senior living campus ‘redefines the experience of aging’
MBH Architects, in collaboration with Eden Housing and Van Meter Williams Pollack LLP, announces the completion of Vivalon’s Healthy Aging Campus, a forward-looking project designed to redefine the experience of aging in Marin County.
Adaptive Reuse | May 15, 2024
Modular adaptive reuse of parking structure grants future flexibility
The shift away from excessive parking requirements aligns with a broader movement, encouraging development of more sustainable and affordable housing.
Affordable Housing | May 14, 2024
Brooklyn's colorful new affordable housing project includes retail, public spaces
A new affordable housing development located in the fastest growing section of Brooklyn, N.Y., where over half the population lives below the poverty line, transformed a long vacant lot into a community asset. The Van Sinderen Plaza project consists of a newly constructed pair of seven-story buildings totaling 193,665 sf, including 130 affordable units.
Mass Timber | May 8, 2024
Portland's Timberview VIII mass timber multifamily development will offer more than 100 affordable units
An eight-story, 72,000-sf mass timber apartment building in Portland, Ore., topped out this winter and will soon offer over 100 affordable units. The structure is the tallest affordable housing mass timber building and the first Type IV-C affordable housing building in the city.
Senior Living Design | May 7, 2024
Living community opens for seniors seeking affordable housing
San Diego-based nonprofit affordable housing developer Community HousingWorks (CHW) celebrates the opening of Puesta del Sol Apartments, a new development with 59 apartments for adults 55 years and older.
MFPRO+ News | May 1, 2024
On the Domino Sugar refinery site, new Brooklyn condominiums offer views of the Manhattan skyline
In Brooklyn, New York’s Williamsburg neighborhood, the new One Domino Square is the first condominium development and the third ground-up residential building on the site of the Domino Sugar refinery. The 700,000-sf project is adjacent to Domino Square and anchors a new 11-acre public park.
Senior Living Design | Apr 24, 2024
Nation's largest Passive House senior living facility completed in Portland, Ore.
Construction of Parkview, a high-rise expansion of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Portland, Ore., completed recently. The senior living facility is touted as the largest Passive House structure on the West Coast, and the largest Passive House senior living building in the country.
Student Housing | Apr 19, 2024
$115 million Cal State Long Beach student housing project will add 424 beds
A new $115 million project recently broke ground at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) that will add housing for 424 students at below-market rates. The 108,000 sf La Playa Residence Hall, funded by the State of California’s Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program, will consist of three five-story structures connected by bridges.