El Cerrito Multifamily Housing

LPA worked with Family Health Centers of San Diego to develop five-stories of multi-family mixed-use supportive housing using customized shipping containers. The 119,000 square-foot building on an unusually shaped 33,846 square-foot site includes up to 170 apartments on top of a podium with parking, clinic and retail space. There will be two-levels of parking above ground level and two levels of parking underground.

The apartments are a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, created from a range of two to five shipping containers. The modular units arrived from the factory with floor-to-ceiling windows and fully finished, including paint cabinetry and electrical outlets, with completed state inspections. The apartments are grouped around interior spaces that provide spaces for engagement and play. Amenities include a dog park, gardens and a children’s play area.

Throughout the complex, outdoor walkways and decks help connect residents to the outdoors. To cut operation costs and cut fossil fuel use, the building has photovoltaic and thermal solar arrays on the roof to generate electricity and provide hot water.