Star Apartments

Additional Info

Award Winner : Guerdon, LLC

Architectural Excellence : The Star Apartments transformed an existing one-story commercial building in downtown Los Angeles into a mixed-use complex with 102 apartments for formerly homeless individuals. The six-story, 95,000 sf building, built for Skid Row Housing Trust, expands upon the developer’s model of providing permanent supportive housing within the downtown core by incorporating a unique type of shared public space within the building. The building is organized around three principal spatial zones stacked one upon the other: a retail zone at street level; a second level for community programs; and four terraced floors of residences above.

Cost Energy Effectiveness : The cost effectiveness of final finishes used on this project were evaluated based on their durability and longevity as they were expected to sustain high levels of use yet need to last for years to come. Some of the selected final finishes included: high pressure laminate countertops and backsplashes, luxury vinyl tile floor covering, ceramic tile bathroom floors, aluminum windows, high pressure laminate cabinets, and solid core doors.

Design Firm Name : Michael Maltzan Architects

Engineering Firm Name : BW Smith Structural Engineers

Green Building Description : The Star Apartments achieved LEED Certification at the Platinum level, racking up 94 points in the process. The achievement was supported by the use of factory fabrication which helped ensure compliance with energy savings.

Installer Firm Name : Westport Construction

Occupied Date : 10/15/2013

Owner Firm Name : Skid Row Housing Trust

Production Start Date : 10/10/2012

Project Location City : Los Angeles

Project Location State Name : California

Technical Innovation : Located at 6th Street and Maple Avenue along the border of Skid Row, the project set a new model for urbanism and increased density by remodeling an existing 1-story building and adding new community spaces and residential levels above.
The integration of retail, social services, community recreational facilities and residential units is a unique building program, not only that, but the project utilizes an innovative modular construction methodology. 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.

Total Square Feet : 35778