INFRASTRUCTURE AUTHORSHIP IN ACTION
A deployable infrastructure system transforming vacant municipal lots into solar-native affordable housing. This case study demonstrates real estate development authorship through engineered cost discipline, vertical efficiency, and fully electric infrastructure.
TOTAL UNITS
9
Across 3 buildings
COST PER UNIT
$148K
Below $150K target
INFRASTRUCTURE
100%
Solar + Electric
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Hartford Lots to Homes project represents applied infrastructure authorship. Designed to align with the City of Hartford's Lots to Homes program and Connecticut Department of Housing initiatives, this development model converts three vacant municipal lots into nine solar-native affordable housing units.
The project demonstrates strict engineering and cost discipline: maximum 4 units per building, hard construction costs under $115,000 per unit, and fully solar-native energy systems. This is not theoretical futurism. This is deployable real estate development infrastructure.
Land acquisition cost: $1 per lot. Municipal partnership enabling infrastructure transformation.
INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS
Solar PV Arrays: Rooftop photovoltaic systems on all three buildings
Heat Pump HVAC: All-electric heating and cooling, no gas infrastructure
Vertical Efficiency: 3 units per building maximizing land use
Centralized Wet Wall: Shared plumbing systems reducing costs
Municipal Utilities: Water, sewer, electric connections included
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
City of Hartford / CT DOH Subsidy
9 units @ $150,000 per unit
$1,350,000
Housing Development Fund
Gap financing
TBD
CDFI Construction Loan
If required
TBD
Land Acquisition
$3
Hard Construction Costs
$1,020,000
Site Work & Utilities
$90,000
Soft Costs
$85,000
Solar PV + Heat Pumps
$80,000
Developer Fee
$55,000
HARD CONSTRUCTION
$113,333
per unit
SOLAR + HEAT PUMP
$8,889
per unit
TOTAL PROJECT COST
$148,111
per unit
SUBSIDY COVERAGE
98.7%
of total cost
DEPLOYMENT METRICS
COST DISCIPLINE
$113K
Hard construction cost per unit, well below industry average for new construction affordable housing
Target: <$150K per unit ✓
ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE
100%
All-electric, solar-native infrastructure. Zero gas connections. Zero fossil fuel dependency.
Solar + Heat Pump: $80K total
LAND EFFICIENCY
3:1
Three units per building. Vertical stacking maximizing land use on compact urban lots.
3 lots → 9 housing units
KEY OUTCOMES
The Hartford project validates the solar-native multi-residential development model. Hard construction costs of $113,333 per unit demonstrate that affordable housing can be built with engineering discipline while maintaining full solar-electric infrastructure.
This is repeatable, scalable, and deployable across municipalities.
Nominal land acquisition ($1 per lot) through municipal partnership demonstrates how cities can enable infrastructure transformation. The $150,000 per unit subsidy from City of Hartford and CT DOH covers 98.7% of total project costs.
Public-private partnership model for infrastructure deployment.
Solar PV and heat pump systems represent only $8,889 per unit—less than 6% of total project cost. This demonstrates that solar-native infrastructure is economically viable within affordable housing development budgets.
Energy sovereignty is affordable, not premium.
Three buildings with three units each maximize land use efficiency on compact urban infill lots. This vertical stacking model is replicable across cities with vacant lot inventories.
Urban density without high-rise complexity.