The Modular Process from Design to Completion

The modular process allows buyers to get exactly what they want in less time than traditional methods.  The result is a building that meets or exceeds the same construction codes as a site-built project.  One of the greatest benefits to modular construction is the time savings.  Unlike traditional construction, the modular process enables the modular builder to prepare the land, as the building is fabricated offsite in a controlled environment.  This process combines high quality materials and superior craftsmanship eliminating time constraints that traditional construction may undergo.

Buyers begin the process by working with a modular building company and/or architect to design the ideal building for their needs.  Using pre-designed floor plans or custom designs, buyers are able to get the features that they want while working within their budget and timeframe.  Once the design is complete, the modular construction process begins.  In a completely controlled environment, modules are built to state building codes.  Because weather has no impact on the construction process, buildings can be completed faster independent of the season or weather.  While the modular process progresses in the factory, modular builders are able to prepare the land by leveling the ground, building the foundation and preparing the plumbing and electrical systems. 

The modules are moved from the factory to the site by flatbed trucks and are then moved onto the foundation using cranes or by rolling the buildings on to the foundation.  Once the modules are set, the seams are sealed and the electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling systems are connected.  When the modular building is complete, it will be indistinguishable in appearance or quality from a site-built building.

Hurricane Season, Flooding and the Newest Modular Trends

Hurricane Season as many people have come to know causes major inland flooding all along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Southern Coast of the United States.  Homes and businesses are lost, families are displaced and the costs of property damage skyrockets with each passing season.  Modular construction companies have come up with innovative modular building solutions and recovery housing for these hard hit areas.

Modular construction is not a new idea and has evolved from the making of simple modular homes to the development of superior modular buildings such as state of the art hotels, classrooms, office complexes and marinas.  Modular constructions accelerated building methods provide speedy recovery housing for those who may have been displaced because of inland flooding or a big storm such as Hurricane Katrina.  All over the Gulf Coast, these manufactured homes were immediately shipped in to provide recovery housing for displaced residents.  Manufactured housing units were chosen by the US Government as the most viable solution for the hard hit area’s immediate emergency housing needs, and the companies providing them did not disappoint.

Manufactured building companies are working hard to come up with new and innovative designs and are now designing modular buildings that can float!  These state of the art buildings are being designed with back-up power and water systems that will allow the home to function in the event of power or water loss during a storm or flooding.  Hurricanes and the inland flooding caused by them results in billions of dollars’ worth of property damage each year and due to Global Warming and rising seas, the cost of repairing the damage will only increase as time goes by.  The manufacturers of these buildings have provided solid solutions for emergency housing demands along with ways to cut property damage costs.  They've come a long way from mobile homes and will continue to provide high quality manufactured buildings to meet any building or construction requirements you may have.

Modular Construction Provides Temporary School Needs in Canada

In many places such as Canada, modular construction fills the need for classroom space until permanent solutions are put in place.  A modular building allows students to pursue their education in an attractive and safe environment, when student population has grown larger than current classroom space can accommodate.  In school districts with fluctuating enrollment, modular structures have the advantage of being easily relocated and reconfigured.  During school renovations, a modular building provides a comfortable space for students, teachers and staff until the project is completed.

While in the past, modular buildings may have been considered bland or boring; there is now a variety of design choices available.  The interiors of modular classrooms can be created to have the same comfortable appearance and feel of their traditionally constructed counterparts.  Modular structures have also joined the green movement; there is a high priority on building energy efficient modules and using recycled and low toxic materials.  Because modular parts and/or entire buildings can be reused and recycled by moving them to new locations, sustainability is dramatically improved.

Canada makes regular use of modular construction for classrooms until permanent solutions are implemented.  Despite their temporary status, modular learning environments in Canada must be maintained to the same standard as conventionally built schools.  Health Canada, the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, oversee the maintenance of modular classrooms.  This insures a healthy environment for students, while allowing the Canadian school system to take advantage of an excellent solution for creating temporary classroom space.

Beyond mobile: Prefab homes come of age, promising to be efficient, green, easy via the Washington Post

So much of what is in our homes these days is factory-made — toasters, furniture, toys — but not the homes themselves.

Most are still built on-site, as opposed to being prefabricated and trucked in. That doesn’t make sense, says Sheri Koones, author of four books on prefab housing, including the new “Prefabulous and Almost Off the Grid: Your Path to Building an Energy-Efficient Home” (Abrams).

“Would you want your car to be built in your driveway?” says Koones, of Greenwich, Conn. “Of course you wouldn’t. You want your car made in a climate-controlled factory by skilled professionals on an assembly line. Wouldn’t you want the same thing for your home?”

Prefab housing, a concept that’s been around at least since Sears and other companies introduced mail-order kits in the early 1900s, generally refers to factory-built modular and panelized housing. They are built to the same code as traditionally built homes, with additional structural requirements to make sure they withstand being transported. Depending on the home’s size, multiple pieces (or modules) are delivered to a site and secured together onto the foundation in a matter of hours.

Prefab homes are typically 60 percent to 90 percent complete at the time of delivery, but often require an additional two or three weeks for finishing touches.

By contrast, mobile homes, which carry much of the stigma against prefabricated housing, are built to a more lenient federal code, arrive on their own wheels, depreciate quickly and are not generally zoned for urban use.

Because modular prefab homes are indistinguishable from site-built homes, they have become increasingly popular, pushed by the growing interest in green building.

“Prefab homes are much more efficient and environmentally friendly. There is so much less waste in the manufacturing process. Any excess materials can be recycled into other homes or sent back to the manufacturer instead of ending up in a dumpster,” Koones says. “Because the materials aren’t exposed to the elements, prefab houses avoid problems with mold, rot and bacteria... .”

She also cites worker health and safety as a benefit to building homes off-site. “Prefab construction professionals can work year-round, indoors, without being exposed to the elements.”

Still, some consumers remain unsure of what a green home built off-site would entail.

Greenfab, a Seattle company, recently used a newly built prefab home as a teaching tool. After producing the first platinum LEED-certified prefab home in Washington State, Greenfab opened the modern house to the public for three months. School groups, builders, buyers and nonprofit groups toured it.

“People in the neighborhood just saw a foundation in the morning, and came home to find a completed house,” says Johnny Hartsfield, founder and president of Greenfab. “Our main goal as a company is to educate the public on the benefits of green and prefab. “

He also lists cost as a reason to go prefab. Since the homes are pre-designed, he says, there are no architect fees, time delays or cost overruns.

"Site building is loud and stressful,” Hartsfield says. “We want to make building your home more exciting and fun — we don’t want you to hate it or get divorced over it.”

Prefab homes can be customized. Some companies offer environmental upgrades beyond standards such as low-VOC paint and efficient appliances.

“We can install the foundation for water collection and solar adaptability in our homes,” Hartsfield says. “Even if they don’t have the money to set up a full solar collection system, we can build their home with the infrastructure to do that down the line.”

Of course, consumers still tend to choose homes based on gut reactions, emotional connections and personal taste.

“If houses aren’t attractive, no one is going to want to build an efficient house,” says Koones. “One of the misconceptions about prefab is that they’re all modern, and not everyone likes modern. The truth is, most of the prefab being built in this country is actually traditional.”

Brooklyn, N.Y.-based New World Home, one of the builders featured in Koones’ book, builds traditionally styled prefab homes across the Northeast. Founding partners Mark Jupiter and Tyler Schmetterer built on-site homes until 2006, when they decided to produce prefab green homes for the masses.

“I love chunky timber-framed houses,” say Jupiter. “I wanted to make homes that fit in the neighborhood, that conjure good feelings and are anchored in history.”

He cites one project in which his prefab home was the first new construction in its neighborhood in 100 years. The neighbors were wary, but came around when they saw the finished home, he says.

And after building a model home in the upscale Hamptons, on Long Island, N.Y., New World Home won over the neighborhood and produced five more homes there, Jupiter says.

“Modern is hard to relate to for some people,” he says. “Our stylings are based on a rich architectural history. Aesthetically, they look like they’ve been around for 100 years, but they perform like they’re 30 years in the future.”

Article via The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/beyond-mobile-prefab-homes-come-of-age-promising-to-be-efficient-green-easy/2012/09/19/4650ab3c-0264-11e2-9132-f2750cd65f97_story.html

Modular Buildings Useful for Permanent School Space Needs

In rapidly expanding suburban school districts and isolated rural areas, administrators are increasingly turning to the modular construction industry for solutions.  Thanks to the efficiencies of the industry, permanent education buildings are more quickly erected using the modular process.

Modular buildings are constructed in climate-controlled factories and installed on prepared sites.  Because the site and utility work occurs at the same time as the building is being constructed, modular construction is much faster and more efficient.  The speed with which modular buildings can be erected is a huge benefit to schools with pressing space needs.  Both temporary and permanent solutions for classroom, laboratory, office and other space shortages are possible with modular construction.

Structures are customizable and expandable, so this type of construction is an ideal solution for educational use.  Additional classroom space is easily added as student population grows.  Since final interior and exterior work is done on-site, there is a great deal of flexibility in interior uses.  School districts in Canada, England, the United States and many other countries value the ease of converting space to most-needed purposes. As an added benefit, buildings can be relocated, as space needs change.

Modular techniques are also more environmentally friendly than standard construction methods.  Less waste material is generated, and building materials are not exposed to outdoor elements during the construction phase.  Site preparation is much less extensive since a smaller footprint is created by the building process.  Mature landscaping can be preserved on campuses when administrators choose a modular building.

Permanent solutions are possible with modular structures.  Because the buildings are so adaptable, they are a viable choice for any school district facing space shortages.  With site preparation and factory construction happening concurrently, modular fabrication can save schools time, allowing the decision makers to focus on what matters most, providing our future generations with the education they need to succeed.

The Growing Popularity and Benefits of Modular Housing

Modular homes are becoming more popular in response to the growing housing market.  Modular construction time is minimal in comparison to building a house using traditional methods.  Weather delays are not a factor because modular homes are primarily constructed indoors.  Once complete, the home is transported and erected on the desired location.  In addition, it can be built in as little as a few weeks’ time.  Another benefit is that one cannot determine whether it is a modular residence due to their exceptional quality.  These innovative and permanent solutions allow the consumer to customize and develop a property that is unique, meets building codes and is equally as strong as old-fashioned models.

Modular construction can offer permanent solutions for home buyers that include rich design choices and energy efficient options.  The ability to design a home that is catered to the consumer’s specifications is one of the central reasons for selecting a modular option.  Modular homes can save homeowners from costly heating and cooling bills by being built with state of the art energy efficient techniques.  Modular homes are sturdy and reliable and can be expanded easily to accommodate more residents and custom room additions.

Modular homes can be customized to meet the homeowners’ exact needs and wants.  Buyers can choose from various interior and exterior finishes, layouts, windows, doors and other design elements.  They can also choose to install energy efficient appliances, crown molding and other luxury finishes.

A modular home offers a modern and permanent solution, and a home that provides a place of solace and beauty. The home buyer has the pleasure of purchasing a home that possesses the ideal design for his or her needs.  The popularity of modular homes will continue to rise as consumers utilize the benefits of a solid and convenient form of construction.