Star Apartments is Named Modular Building Institute’s October Building of the Month

LOS ANGELES, CA - The Modular Building Institute is proud to recognize Star Apartments in Los Angeles, California as their October 2014 Building of the Month. This complex consists of 51 modules, manufactured by Guerdon Enterprises, LLC in Boise, Idaho, for the Skid Row Housing Trust. Star Apartments is meant to help LA's chronically homeless get back on their feet in a timely manner.

Star Apartments’ modern, geometric design by acclaimed architect Michael Maltzan provides 102 apartments, each about 350 square feet, recreation facilities (including a basketball court and track), and on‐site social services. This 92,000 square foot complex was created with a community‐minded open design, utilizing rooftop spaces for recreation and pedestrian traffic. Faced with a limited budget and tight schedule, the design team determined that prefabricated modules lifted into place over the existing podium would ensure a higher quality of construction, meet tighter construction tolerances, and dramatically accelerate construction time, producing a parallel reduction in cost.

This project was completed in 425 days, which included extensive on-site work on the open, communal areas. Its green design includes capitalization on local public amenities, such as public transportation and bicycle storage in the building’s garage, energy-efficient appliances, and low-VOC finishes to improve indoor air quality. Star Apartments was constructed atop an existing retail building, which was gutted and renovated to support the structure above. It achieved USGBC LEED Platinum Certification after completion.

MBI CEO Tom Hardiman states “MBI is proud to showcase a building that, in addition to using the greener, faster, smarter modular construction method, is built around establishing a supportive, sustainable community for those most in need.”