Isla Intersections affordable housing debuts in South Los Angeles

At a weekend ceremony, developer Holos Communities, LOHA, and local elected officials marked the debut of Isla Intersections, a new affordable housing complex near the interchange of the 110 and 105 Freeways in Broadway-Manchester.

The project, located on what was previously a traffic median at 283 W. Imperial Highway, is a five-story building composed out of repurposed shipping containers. Now, the previously unused site serves as 54 apartments for formerly homeless renters - including veterans.

Aerial view looking southEric Staudenmaier

While the property sits in close proximity to two busy freeways, the buildings are arranged to better muffle the noise from the two highways and the adjoining stretches of Broadway and Imperial Highway. LOHA's design arranges the modular units as a cascading series of terraces, with open space provided at the center of the property and on rooftops.

"[W]hile transportation accessibility is vital for residents, the design thoughtfully addresses the heath concerns that come with living in the shadow of a large transport artery," reads a narrative provided by the architecture firm. "The project therefore utilizes standard building filtration and landscaping to create a ‘green-lung’ that filters vehicle pollutants. The building is also connected to its environment through a rainwater collection system. Roof canopies above the units not only provide shade to exterior public spaces, but also funnel rainwater into storage tanks displayed on the site."

Likewise, the project includes a new "Living Lung" on its western exterior, in the form of a shared street which incorporated landscaping, a greywater irrigation system, and a safer route for pedestrians and cyclists. That space is called the Annenberg Paseo, after the Annenberg Foundation which provided financial support for the project.

Agency Artifact designed the Anneberg Paseo.

Terrace levelsGabor Ekecs

Other members of the project team include American Family Housing, Geis Construction, and Primus Building Solutions. Financial support for the development was provided by the Annenberg Foundation, CIT Bank, Enterprise Community Partners, the Los Angeles Housing Department, and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.

Holos Communities is not done with eye-catching affordable housing developments in Los Angeles. Its suite of future projects includes the Corazon del Valle apartments in Panorama City and a proposed high-rise in Long Beach.

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