NAHB Recognizes West L.A. Condo Project as “Trend-Setter”
Los Angeles--NAHB has recognized T Lofts, an 84-unit condo redevelopment project in Los Angeles, as a "top trend-setter in the multifamily housing industry."
By Dees Stribling, Contributing Editor
Los Angeles–The National Association of Home Builders has recognized T Lofts, an 84-unit condo redevelopment project in Los Angeles, as a “top trend-setter in the multifamily housing industry” in its annual Pillars of the Industry Awards program. The program promotes excellence in multifamily design, development, management and marketing, according to NAHB.
Lee Homes, an active builder in metro Los Angeles, and its partner CityView, a national institutional real estate investor, hired Torrance, Calif.-based Withee Malcolm Architects to design the project on a former industrial site in West Los Angeles. After just 16 months, despite considerable difficulties posed by the current real estate market, there are only eight units left. Prices start in the $600,000s.
The project has also been recognized for its sustainable approach—“a laboratory for innovation in housing,” as Lynn Jacobs, director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development, put it in a statement. T Lofts includes water- and energy-efficient features such as centralized boilers, rainwater harvesting, high-efficiency toilets, energy-efficient lighting and Energy Star appliances. Construction was low impact, with the use of factory-built framing to minimize waste, and the use of Sarnafil, a reflective roof material.
The structure’s location is also a green attribute, according to the developers, since it’s close to a number of neighborhood services such as markets and other retailers. T Lofts is also close to the planned Exposition Light Rail Light, and features bike racks and 18 parking spaces with plugs for electric cars.
Green has been an important consideration for buyers, according to the project’s designer. “The young, West L.A. demographic, who we felt would be attracted to this urban live/work product, are also very environmentally aware,” Dan Withee of Withee Malcolm Architects tells MHN. “They take green seriously and want to live in homes that reflect those values.”
