Press

TEJON RANCH, CALIFORNIA—June 10, 2024: Plant Prefab, a leading sustainable housing manufacturer, and Cloud Apartments, a modular design and development company, today announced their first project in Los Angeles, California. The seven-story, 60-unit infill development at 851 Manhattan Place is one of the first in Los Angeles to feature six stories of timber-framed modular apartments and also one of the first to take advantage of the city’s Executive Directive 1 granting expedited permitting for affordable housing. The project is entirely privately funded, with units being constructed at Plant Prefab’s automated factory in Tejon Ranch, California at a projected cost that’s roughly half the county’s $600,000-per-unit median for affordable housing. The project is also projected to be constructed 30% faster than comparable site-built developments.

“Plant Prefab and Cloud Apartments have a shared commitment to building housing far faster and at a lower cost than is possible with traditional methods. And we’re both focused on sustainable, affordable housing, particularly in the urban markets where it’s needed most,” says Steve Glenn, Plant Prefab Founder & CEO. “Cloud’s design and delivery model is a perfect fit for the Plant Building System™ and our new, automated factory in Tejon Ranch, California.”

Plant Prefab’s new $40M, 270,000-square-foot factory just south of Bakersfield is the first facility in the nation specifically designed to manufacture panelized and modular housing components at scale. Automated panel production lines provide fast, high-quality, sustainable fabrication of spec-built panelized components and in-house module assembly and finish capabilities reduce the amount of skilled labor required on the jobsite. Plant Prefab will build all 60 units for the Manhattan Place project, completing 95% of the finish work in their factory.

“We’re thrilled to be kicking off our first project,” says Curtis Wong, Cloud Apartments Founder & CEO. “The fact that we are able to make extremely high-quality affordable housing in Los Angeles pencil out without subsidies is testament to the potential of the Cloud Apartments development platform.”

Launched in 2021, Cloud Apartments has created a blueprint for developing affordable luxury multifamily properties radically faster and more cost effectively than existing on-site or offsite methods:

Reusable, permit-ready designs for studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units help projects progress to construction drawings quickly, saving time and money in design, engineering, and approvals.

Production at Plant Prefab’s purpose-built panel and module factory in Tejon Ranch, California expedites and de-risks supply chain management and construction.

Patented CloudConnect “snap” installation technology for on-site mechanical, electrical, and plumbing connections reduces reliance on costly local labor.

Thoughtful design, high-end finishes, and innovative smart home technology make units appealing to renters seeking a modern, luxury lifestyle at an affordable price point.

Following the National Green Building Standard for design choices based on energy, water, and indoor air quality and building in Plant Prefab’s solar-powered factory with industry-leading material efficiency results in lower embodied and operational carbon emissions while providing occupants a healthier living environment.

“We’ve pioneered a reliably efficient delivery model and assembled an experienced project team to execute it,” says Wong. “Plant Prefab’s track record of consistently raising the bar on factory-built housing design and sustainability, together with their use of technology and automation, made them an obvious choice for our production partner. This first project will provide a valuable roadmap for future developments.”

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ABOUT PLANT PREFAB
Plant Prefab is the first Certified B Corporation™ building technology company dedicated to sustainable design, materials, and operations. The company’s patented Plant Building System™ utilizes advanced digital modeling and fully customizable Plant Panels™ and Plant Modules™ to help developers and general contractors build housing 20 to 50 percent faster than site-based methods. Plant Prefab’s new $40M, 270,000-square-foot factory in Tejon Ranch is the first facility in the nation specifically designed to manufacture panelized and modular housing components at scale. Leveraging automated panel production, the Plant Building System™ provides better quality control, design flexibility, and time, cost, and material efficiency than traditional methods of offsite or on-site construction. For more information, please visit plantprefab.com.

ABOUT CLOUD APARTMENTS
Cloud Apartments is a modular design and development company that was created to make high-quality affordable and sustainable housing possible. We have established a complete lineup of apartments, based on our patented CloudConnect modular system, that streamlines the development process through permitting and construction. By partnering with leading industry players, we are able to de-risk, accelerate, and reduce the cost of building multifamily housing. We offer developers a complete delivery service of modular apartments, from entitlements and permits to construction with modular industry leaders such as Plant Prefab. We are currently in the entitlement process for over 1,000 additional units in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area.