Hope on Alvarado – Revealing modular housing project for the homeless in LA

The Construction Specifier

November 6, 2019

KTGY Architecture + Planning has unveiled Hope on Alvarado, the first in a series of housing solutions for the homeless in Los Angeles, California, using advanced modular construction.

The five-story Hope on Alvarado project is a collaboration between modular architect Peter DeMaria, chief design officer at HBG/Azria, and KTGY Architecture + Planning. It offers 84 units of studios and one-bedroom apartments on a 0.18–ha (0.44-acre) site.

Hope on Alvarado is expected to open in early 2020. The accelerated completion time is due to the building’s unique design. Each apartment is composed of several modules, modified specifically for the project.

The steel building modules, sourced from China, leverage the dimensions and material of containers for efficient transportation and construction. Modules are transported by truck to the site, crane-lifted, and then stacked into a single building.

Floor-to-ceiling windows are completed offsite, as are interior fixtures and finishes such as drywall, tiling, and bathrooms. The design is focused around a central courtyard. Floor-to-ceiling glazing distinguishes the support-services office space on the street-level.

“The Hope On team has advanced technology using steel modules that have the potential to radically transform modular housing,” said Mark Oberholzer AIA, LEED AP, KTGY Architecture + Planning associate principal. “While site work and foundations are done onsite, the modules are manufactured offsite, with customized interior finishes and fittings, resulting in highly efficient speed-to-market.”