Hope on Alvarado Case Study

Project Name: Hope on Alvarado
Location:  Los Angeles, California
Developer: 166 Alvarado, LLC
Architect: KTGY Architecture + Planning
Installer: All Valley Solar
Installed: 2020

Modular construction benefits the environment, project cost and development timelines.

Designated as Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) in the City of Los Angeles, the project provides fully ADA-compliant housing for the transitional homeless population in Los Angeles. 84 dwelling units with floor-to-ceiling glass surround an inner courtyard and the rooftop garden/deck combined create outdoor zones for lounging and socializing. Hope on Alvarado will provide much-needed PSH for numerous people experiencing chronic homelessness in Los Angeles.

From the outside, the Hope on Alvarado apartments look pretty much like any new development. The building northwest of downtown is five stories high, its floor-to-ceiling windows and steel exterior giving it a modern-industrial feel.

But inside, things look different than your average brand-new apartment complex. The units are steel containers (much like the shipping containers you see loaded at the docks of the Port of Los Angeles) that have been converted into micro-apartments.

Modular construction has come a long way over the past decade with improvements to the speed and cost of delivery, quality control and a dramatic reduction to on-site disruption. The constructed building is often indistinguishable from an entirely site-built product. Utilizing modular construction methods, including both panelized and volumetric modular systems, can lead to several advantages and benefits.

Location: 166 South Alvarado Street Los Angeles,CA 90057
Application: Apartments – Multi-Family
Solar Collectors: 20 Sun Earth Thermoray 4' x 10' (TRB-40) Collectors
System Format: Solar pre-heated water 
Rated Power Output: 818ft2 / 10.76 * 0.7 = 53.22 kW 
Yearly Energy Output (kWh): 53.22*4.04*.44*365 = 34,527.57 kwh