Project Description:
This 100 unit special apartment community was commissioned by the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City to house the homeless.
Located at the 600 South off ramp into SLC, the building is designed as a warehouse loft to blend into the industrial nature of the neighborhood. Due to its proximity to the freeway off ramp, the structure is designed to mitigate freeway generated noise by lowering the south wing of the structure to 2-stories, thereby having its south facing windows below the level of the freeway concrete guard walls.
Individual units are designed with 9’-0” high ceilings for a loft-like environment. Using creative design solutions, bedroom and living room windows are grouped together for a greater exposure and to allow 400-450 s.f. units to feel larger and more spacious.
Costs are controlled by going with 4-story- wood frame construction, efficient unit layouts,stacking of all plumbing pipes/vents, repetitive use of modular cabinets, countertops, etc. As a result of the efficient layout of the building on the site, there is room to accommodate an additional 24 residential units in the future.
Amenities include a community garden, off street parking, on site access to various service providers. 3D perspective renderings generated by MJSA were instrumental in the Housing Authority’s quest to secure additional funding. The ground level of the structure along 500 West has 5,000 sf of leasable commercial space exclusively for restaurants, commercial or businesses willing to provide on-the-job training to the residents. The cost estimate for this project was approximately $110.00 a square foot.
