This month, Guerdon Modular Buildings, a leading manufacturer of modular housing for the western U.S. and Canada, will start factory construction of modules for Eviva Midtown, a six-story apartment building in downtown Sacramento, Calif., that will have 118 condominium-style one- and two -bedroom rental units, ranging from 700 to 1,200 sf.
Guerdon took over as the module supplier for this project when its developer, Integral Development, decided to switch manufacturers once the previous modular subcontractor encountered planning and scheduling problems soon after the project’s groundbreaking in September 2014.
Eviva Downtown, which was once called The Warren, had been in development for nearly a decade before that groundbreaking. “Eviva is a chance for our deep bench of design, engineering, and construction professionals to demonstrate how our modular construction technology dramatically speeds the build process over traditional on-site approaches without any sacrifice to design or aesthetics,” says Curtis Fletcher, Guerdon’s business development manager.
This building, Sacramento’s largest modular project to date, was initiated by the Capital Area Development Authority (CADA). Integral developed this project in partnership with Sacramento-based investment firm LDK Ventures. Tricorp Hearn Construction is the GC.
During the delay caused by the modular musical chairs, Integral and CADA revisited their plans for this project and made a number of modifications and structural changes to its design. To make it more distinct from neighboring buildings, they widened Eviva’s balconies, made its corners slightly taller than the rest of the project, and added a broader color palette.
The building team chose Guerdon because its reputation for handling large-scale projects and completing modules on time.
“Guerdon has integrated so closely with our staff that every aspect of the construction process has been worry-free, from the design and build to mapping out the delivery and installation,” says Dave Bruss, chief operations officer at Tricorp Hearn, which is based in Sacramento. On-site module installation is scheduled to begin in August.
Located on the corner of 16th and N Streets, Eviva is part of an ongoing revival of Sacramento’s downtown area. For example, the $31 million renovation and restoration of the city’s 89-year-old, 68,000-sf Sacramento Valley Station—the busiest Amtrak depot west of Chicago—is one of the centerpieces of a large downtown redevelopment, which includes a Sacramento Entertainment and Sports Complex accompanied by a 16-story mixed-use hotel, retail, and residential complex designed by Los Angeles-based Rios Clementi Hale Studios. AECOM is the lead architect for the arena, which is scheduled to open October 2016, according to The Architects Newspaper.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Mar 14, 2023
Multifamily housing rent rates remain flat in February 2023
Multifamily housing asking rents remained the same for a second straight month in February 2023, at a national average rate of $1,702, according to the new National Multifamily Report from Yardi Matrix. As the economy continues to adjust in the post-pandemic period, year-over-year growth continued its ongoing decline.
Student Housing | Mar 13, 2023
University of Oklahoma, Missouri S&T add storm-safe spaces in student housing buildings for tornado protection
More universities are incorporating reinforced rooms in student housing designs to provide an extra layer of protection for students. Storm shelters have been included in recent KWK Architects-designed university projects in the Great Plains where there is a high incidence of tornadoes. Projects include Headington and Dunham Residential Colleges at the University of Oklahoma and the University Commons residential complex at Missouri S&T.
Mixed-Use | Mar 11, 2023
Austin mixed-use development will provide two million sf of office, retail, and residential space
In Austin, Texas, the seven-building East Riverside Gateway complex will provide a mixed-use community next to the city’s planned Blue Line light rail, which will connect the Austin Bergstrom International Airport with downtown Austin. Planned and designed by Steinberg Hart, the development will include over 2 million sf of office, retail, and residential space, as well as amenities, such as a large park, that are intended to draw tech workers and young families.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 7, 2023
Multifamily housing development in Chicago takes design inspiration from patchwork and quilting
HUB 32, a 65-unit multifamily housing development, will provide affordable housing and community amenities in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood. Brooks + Scarpa’s recently unveiled design takes inspiration from the American tradition of patchwork and quilting.
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 5, 2023
Pittsburgh offers funds for office-to-residential conversions
The City of Pittsburgh’s redevelopment agency is accepting applications for funding from developers on projects to convert office buildings into affordable housing. The city’s goals are to improve downtown vitality, make better use of underutilized and vacant commercial office space, and alleviate a housing shortage.
Student Housing | Mar 5, 2023
Calif. governor Gavin Newsom seeks to reform environmental law used to block student housing
California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to reform a landmark state environmental law that he says was weaponized by wealthy homeowners to block badly needed housing for students at the University of California, Berkeley.
Green Renovation | Mar 5, 2023
Dept. of Energy offers $22 million for energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades
The Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy is offering more than $22 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to teams across America. Prize recipients will be selected based on their ideas to accelerate widespread, equitable energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades.
AEC Innovators | Mar 3, 2023
Meet BD+C's 2023 AEC Innovators
More than ever, AEC firms and their suppliers are wedding innovation with corporate responsibility. How they are addressing climate change usually gets the headlines. But as the following articles in our AEC Innovators package chronicle, companies are attempting to make an impact as well on the integrity of their supply chains, the reduction of construction waste, and answering calls for more affordable housing and homeless shelters. As often as not, these companies are partnering with municipalities and nonprofit interest groups to help guide their production.
Modular Building | Mar 3, 2023
Pallet Shelter is fighting homelessness, one person and modular pod at a time
Everett, Wash.-based Pallet Inc. helped the City of Burlington, Vt., turn a municipal parking lot into an emergency shelter community, complete with 30 modular “sleeping cabins” for the homeless.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 1, 2023
Multifamily construction startup Cassette takes a different approach to modular building
Prefabricated modular design and construction have made notable inroads into such sectors as industrial, residential, hospitality and, more recently, office and healthcare. But Dafna Kaplan thinks that what’s held back the modular building industry from even greater market penetration has been suppliers’ insistence that they do everything: design, manufacture, logistics, land prep, assembly, even onsite construction. Kaplan is CEO and Founder of Cassette, a Los Angeles-based modular building startup.
