Watts Works

2024 Design Awards Citation Recipient

This architectural project comprises a 25-unit affordable housing community in Los Angeles’ Watts neighborhood. Replacing a vacant single-family home on a 6,140-square-foot lot, it uses 58 modular shipping containers to create 24 micro studio apartments for unhoused individuals. The site has an equivalent density of 180 units per acre achieved by small unit sizes and only one onsite parking stall. Watts Works features a versatile community space, laundry room, service provider offices, and long-term bicycle storage.

Positioned on the ground floor at the intersection of Compton Avenue and East 95th Street, the community room connects to a landscaped patio providing sidewalk activation. Exterior stairways serve as an architectural expression and connect open spaces on various levels, promoting cross-ventilation and physical well-being. These open spaces include a ground level backyard and tranquility garden as well as a rooftop patio.

The project’s financing approach includes Proposition HHH funds and recognition in Mayor Garcetti’s Housing Innovation Challenge. In 2022, the project was one of three to gain global recognition as a circular building case study, presented at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, Scotland by the World Business Organization of Sustainable Development, highlighting its role in advancing sustainable urban architecture.

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An innovative, socially responsible project, that takes a challenging project type and pushes it forward. That it didn’t look like container housing was a plus and the interiors were well designed. It treats residents with dignity and provides a desirable place to live. Very nice spaces.

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Measure 1: Design for Integration

The highest priority for our project team was maximizing housing for a population in greatest need, the unhoused, through quality design and embracing modular technologies. What once was a single-family home, now has an equivalent density of 180 units per acre achieved by micro-units and only one parking stall. Modular housing allowed us to reduce the project cost by approximately 50%, serving as a model for helping to achieve the biggest impact with minimal funds. This project is primarily comprised of recycled shipping containers with minimal material removed. If demolished, the containers including interior finishes, cabinets, and appliances could be reused, reducing materials typically disposed into the waste stream. In 2022, Watts Works was one of three global case studies highlighting the business case for circular building published by the World Business Organization of Sustainable Development in Geneva, Switzerland, and presented at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, Scotland, emphasizing its role in advancing sustainable urban architecture.
Highlighted by Architect’s Newspaper for its modular construction and economy of means, the unique construction concept makes room for a thoughtful and dignified design (Best of Design Award For Social Impact and a Project of the Year Finalist).

Measure 2: Design for Equitable Communities

The project had staunch support across the neighborhood. The site is across the street from the Church of Christ who owned the adjacent parcel and this property at one point. The project team met with the Elders of that congregation and kept open communication throughout the development. In addition, the project secured support from the Watts Neighborhood Council, Council District 15, and the Watts Community Labor Action Committee. Throughout all the community meetings and hearings, the project received little opposition and was welcomed by the Watts community upon completion.

Measure 3: Design for Ecosystems

The use of shade trees, a continuously planted parkway to increase ground surface permeability, and California natives resulted in the project scoring 330% above the minimum requirements established in the City of Los Angeles Landscape Ordinance.
The community room opens onto a landscaped patio providing both activation and “eyes on the street.” The exterior stairways connect open spaces including a tranquility garden, backyard, and rooftop terrace encouraging use for health and well-being. The rooftop terrace serves as “a place for peace,” according to residents with expansive city views. Leveraging the mild climate, the stairs and open corridors provide cross-ventilation.

Measure 4: Design for Water

The landscape design incorporates high-efficiency inline drip irrigation, a smart controller system and drought tolerant planting, reducing water use by 27% from the baseline standard. Plant species were selected for long-term sustainability, architectural character, and their ability to thrive only on natural rainfall after establishment. Organic compost and mulch were incorporated to improve soil health, reduce evaporative water loss, and support overall plant health. Rainwater is stored within modular permavoid cells that adapt to tight site constraints while providing irrigation for planting at the ground level.

Measure 5: Design for Economy

The project has a variety of rent and population restrictions from various sources of financing. Set to 30% AMI Extremely Low Income, the units are restricted to homeless, chronically homeless with severe mental illness, with the remaining unit dedicated to an onsite manager.
There are 55-year affordability and population covenants tied to the building. The project utilized Capital Magnet funds from our construction lenders, leaving another 10-year restriction on the property.
Watts Works construction costs ($293k per unit) were half of the typical affordable cost per unit ($600k per unit) in Los Angeles.

Measure 6: Design for Energy

Watts Works leverages efficient hot water heating, HVAC, and lighting technologies. The project utilizes heat pump technology to minimize carbon emissions and energy consumption with familiar and economical high-performance mini-split ductless heat pumps. To address hot water heating, the design incorporates a high efficiency natural gas condensing boiler for the highest commercial efficiency for natural gas equipment. LED lighting is provided throughout the project to reduce power usage and lamp replacement. Tall operable windows are utilized to support natural light and ventilation while reducing the reliance for mechanical systems.

Measure 7: Design for Well-Being

With unit depths of only twenty feet, compared to a typical 30-foot-depth, large windows fill the interiors with natural daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Operable windows allow natural ventilation through much of the year, lessening the need for mechanical systems. Finishes were applied off-site, in the factory allowing more time for off-gassing in tandem with selection of low VOC materials such as LVT, sealants, and paints. Open corridors and exterior stairs encourage physical activity and social interaction. With multiple scales of open space residents can find private and social spaces that enjoy greenery, fresh air, and views.

Measure 8: Design for Resources

While the project resulted in estimated total savings of 12,360 kgCO2e, equating to removing 2.5 cars off the road, the team learned choosing a manufacturing location near the project site would have saved an additional 54,800 kgCO2e, or the equivalent of removing 14 cars off the road annually. With the use of non-fossil fuel-based insulation, even greater emissions savings could have been achieved with an additional 17,670 kgCO2e, or the equivalent of an additional 5 cars removed from the road per year. Watts Works was a business case for circular building published by the World Business Organization of Sustainable Development.

Measure 9: Design for Change

This project is primarily comprised of recycled used steel shipping containers. Since these were micro-units, minimal material was removed from the shipping container when combining two together.
In the future, if demolished, the exterior finish would be removed, and utilities disconnected. The containers with their interiors including finishes, cabinets and appliances could then relocated and reused, reducing materials typically disposed into the waste stream.
Light colors were selected for the walls and roof to lower solar heat gain and withstand the increasing temperatures of our changing climate. Minimal maintenance, drought-tolerant planting was used that will thrive even during water scarcity.

Measure 10: Design for Discovery

The innovative and successful approach to designing, financing, fabricating, and delivering modular housing has subsequently led to over half a dozen additional modular projects, with five in construction comprising just under 450 units. Our work has expanded beyond containers to include wood and metal stud volumetric modular construction. Due to this expertise, most affordable housing projects within our firm are pursuing modular construction. With a demand for 3.5 million homes in the next few years, modular provides an economical approach to meeting this need. Watts Works is affectionately known as a small project with a big purpose.