Awards
Affordable housing 2-story apartments with detached surface parking consisting of 56 dwelling units on 2.45 acres. Solara Apartments is California's first affordable housing project designed to be fully independent of the power grid. In practice, its photovoltaic panels provide 90 percent of electrical needs to 56 units of rental multi-family apartments in 2-story wood buildings and a small community center. Located on 2.5 ground-leased acres adjacent to a floodway that has a recreational relationship to the development, Solara overcame a myriad of entitlement, financing, technical, and community challenges to become a fully-leased community of households committed to a green program.