1414 MLK

Builders turn to modular when they’re feeling the squeeze of tight timelines, tight labor pools, and sometimes, tight spaces. Modular techniques can be very effective when working with unusual build sites, like a 45-unit apartment complex in Oakland only a little wider than the length of a pickup truck.

Because of its unique site challenges, the 1414 MLK development in Oakland’s City Center would have been nearly impossible without modular construction techniques. The narrow L-shaped lot — currently a single-row parking strip — physically cannot accommodate the sprawl of a traditional build site, and there is a risk of damage to the historic buildings on either side of the property.

For these reasons and more, Prefab Logic was recruited to make 1414 MLK factory ready as a modular product. To reduce the on-site footprint, with 40 of the development’s 45 studio apartments were constructed off-site. The units are then shipped to downtown Oakland and carefully assembled on the narrow build site with care and attention to the historic properties on either side.

Done in-factory construction the majority of the construction is done in a period of weeks. Faster doesn’t mean cutting corners, though: the 1414 MLK building features upscale amenities and finishes in the factory-built units, as well as a rooftop lounge area with an outdoor kitchen.