Thursday, January 31, 2013

Modular Building and the Bottom Line


Modular Construction Company
While a new dorm or learning space might be needed or desirable on campus, facing down the associated headaches of time, mess, and expense can overshadow the benefits the finished project might bring.

Modular construction is an alternative delivery method that can tame some of those issues. Unfortunately, the word modular sends people back to the drafty trailers they remember from elementary school.

“Modular can be concrete and steel,” says Jim Snyder, director of operations for Warrior Group Construction. “It doesn’t have to look like an 8th-grade science class.”

“They aren’t the trailer park or doublewides that come to mind when you think of modular,” agrees David Rabold, capital projects manager at Muhlenberg College (Pa.), where multiple dorms have been constructed using the off-site construction method.

“The myths of modular construction are from years ago when it was all wooden boxes,” says Dan Harrigan, principal at Spillman Farmer Architects. “They would warp and not line up.” His firm has worked on several projects at Muhlenberg and other colleges.

When compared to traditional building methods, modular construction, also known as off-site construction, prefabricated construction, and pre-manufacturing, can save time, reduce disruption to campus, and even save money. As construction projects return to campus with the economic recovery, this method deserves a second look.

Time Is of the Essence
Old habits die hard. People aren’t comfortable with modular construction, despite the potential efficiencies, because they aren’t familiar with it, says John Dolan, a project executive with the construction firm Skanska.

Permanent modular construction is a far cry from a temporary modular building that can be hauled away when no longer needed, says Snyder. The main difference between a modular building and a traditional “stick build” structure is in method of construction. “In modular, up to 90 percent of the building is completed in a factory and delivered to the site,” explains Glenn Cort, executive vice president of Triumph Modular. This process compresses the project timeline because all of the “major tasks happen simultaneously. While people are on site doing work, the building is being constructed in a factory.”

When educating people about the advantages of modular, experts usually start with the time advantage. Since the building elements are constructed in a temperature-controlled factory and delivered complete to the site, working around the weather is less of an issue with a modular project.

Time was a critical component when Muhlenberg leaders decided in 2006 to replace an older dorm with new apartment-style housing, remembers Rabold. “We took over the site in May 2007 and had the first RA living in a building in August.”

The success and popularity of The Village gave campus leaders the confidence to use modular for an addition on their 150-year-old East Hall. While Rabold says it’s a “gorgeous” building with fireplaces in each room and other amenities that would have been expected back in the day, it doesn’t fulfill modern expectations. The addition of social spaces will reduce available beds, which is in conflict with their housing policy and the fact that 90 percent of students live on campus.

“We’re building an addition that will be modular. It will be 36 beds. The cost will be comparable to a new dorm, but we are saving time,” he explains. The new building is expected to be ready for RAs and support staff to move in the weekend of August 12.

“On June 1, we have to dig a hole and build the foundation to be ready to receive the modules for June 12. About four days later, we’ll have a building,” Rabold shares. The schedule for The Village was so precise; they knew which day each of the 20 modules was being completed.

Time was also a factor when the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) built new apartment-style housing in 2004. “We only had from when students left in the summer to when they returned to campus,” recalls Tom Buuck, director of operations. Padua Hall broke ground in February that year.

Minimize Disruption
With the majority of the construction with modular taking place off-site, the delivery method means less disruption to campus than traditional construction.
“What wows people about pre-manufactured is that you go from a blank slate to a finished project very quickly,” says Dolan. It also reduces the chances people will improvise to get the project done, which ensures consistent quality.

The boxes, as the individual elements are called, are usually constructed on an assembly line, with cranes moving them down the line. “People do the flooring, windows, plumbing. All the things you expect to see in a permanent facility are built in a factory,” explains Snyder. “But you can stack a box on top of a box, and as long as it was well thought out you can see a space that is as open as a traditional building.” Then, at the job site, you just need a crane to put all the boxes together.

Reducing disruptions was a concern with the renovations to East Hall, Rabold says. “If we did it stick-build, on-site, we would have built during the year. It’s in one of the open legs of a quad and would have disrupted several hundred students year round. We would have had to put time restrictions on the contractors, not during exams, etc. It wouldn’t have worked.”

During the winter break, the groundwork for electric and water was done. By the time students returned to campus, the holes were filled so they never knew it happened, he says. The next round of activity won’t happen until after graduation in May.

“Usually, projects go on for a year and the campus doesn’t look good during tours,” points out Harrigan. “Modular usually has less of an impact, maybe just two or three months.”

But just because arrangements can be made to avoid disturbing students, don’t expect it to be mess-free. “You still have to build a foundation. You still have to put on a roof and a wrap-around,” cautions Rex Bercot, building superintendent at the University of Saint Francis. After the boxes for Padua Hall were installed, a brick facing and balconies were added on-site. “If you went by the building, you couldn’t tell it was a modular building. I’d bet $100 that you couldn’t tell.”

However, the Padua Hall project resulted in less damage to the earth when compared to a traditional project, Buuck says. “If you have construction during the school year, you have to put up fences and make sure students don’t go poking around. When the modular units came in, the doors were already locked.”

Stylish and Green
Careful planning can result in spacious and gracious modular buildings. “We can deliver large, complex buildings,” assures Cort.

Modular does have to be on the table at the very beginning of the design process, because there are restrictions related to shipping a box on the highways, says Harrigan. “You have to know how the units will be broken down and where the meet lines will be.”

While minor adjustments were made to the proposed addition to East Hall to accommodate the modular method, the end result meshes with the existing 150-year-old structure, says Rabold. “We’re getting a tower to complement the existing towers, there is an elevator, and we have roll-in showers.” 
“You hear that ceiling heights are an issue because they get a ceiling and floor in one space, but the existing building has low ceilings and we’re within inches of matching that,” he adds.

Students who initially signed up to live at The Village were taking a risk because they would be moving in sight unseen, but by the second year, the complex was in high demand. “I’m hoping that East Hall will be the same. I want to bring the original hall to its old grandeur,” he says.

Modular picks up savings from economies of scale and repeatable space. “You don’t want the dorms to all look the same but you can make them similar,” says Dolan. Floor plans and positioning of doors and windows can be the same, with differentiation coming from paint and other decorations, he suggests. As with a traditional construction project, you have to pay attention to the details. Bercot says the amenities in Padua Hall are all nice, but they ended up swapping out the standard issue doors. “There are things we wish we did differently. And you get that on any project,” he says. “I don’t care if it’s stick built from the ground up. You always wish you had done something differently.”

Grand spaces, such as two-story foyers, can be accomplished by either combining a box without a ceiling with one without a floor or by stick building the foyer and using modular for the remainder of the building.

Don’t worry about having to sacrifice environmental goals to go modular, either. Snyder says they’ve built projects to both LEED Silver and Gold. “We eliminate a lot of waste that would end up in landfills,” Cort says.

Another green aspect is the smaller footprint on-site because there is no need for temporary parking lots and other support areas, says Dolan. With modular, there are also going to be fewer delivery trucks coming to campus throughout the project, experts note.

Costs: A Deeper Look
In both traditional construction and modular, careful planning is the best way to achieve cost efficiencies. “We recommend the owner get modular experts involved at the very beginning,” says Snyder. “You won’t realize the savings if you drop us into the middle.” As Cort notes, “When you do something 46 percent faster there are some savings, but you have to coordinate the architect and contractors early on.

Regarding delivery, the boxes must be strong enough to be picked up by a crane and transported to their destination. “If it shakes apart, you’ve defeated the point of doing modular,” points out Snyder. This makes them sturdier in the long run, but can add expense, meaning modular might not be the most cost-effective road for a small project. However, it is a good option for controlled growth, says Snyder. You can design a large building, but start out with a smaller section and add on as needed.

Another point of potential loss is changing to modular midstream. Dolan shares that Skanska is working on a commercial apartment complex in Brooklyn that did not start out modular. The drawings had to be redone to adapt it. However, the project will still end up costing 12 percent less than conventional construction. “It was a combination of reduced overall project schedule and efficiencies in the factory,” he explains.

Buuck says there were not a lot of up-front costs associated with Padua Hall because the project team was able to select from standard floorplans. The project was around 10 to 20 percent less in construction costs. “It always appeals to us when we’re saving a few dollars,” he says.

When Muhlenberg built The Village, Harrigan says they realized savings in architectural fees because of the compressed schedule, and also because they didn’t have to house and transport displaced students.

“We’ve used modular for time savings more than anything, but I don’t think we’ve paid a cost penalty,” says Rabold. “We make very nice facilities; we fit in the national average for what we spend per bed.” When compared to a traditional building project, he says they had more trouble with the stick build laundry building that went along with The Village than they did with the modular project.

“We look at them as forever buildings,” Rabold concludes. “we don’t want these to be done again.”

Source: http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/modular-building-and-bottom-line?goback=%2Egde_163861_member_207804705

Monday, January 28, 2013

Thinking Out Of The Box


Prefabricated modular town homes to become affordable Jackson Green development.


Back in the mid-’80s, a group of church leaders had a vision to get more affordable housing built throughout Hudson County for the region’s working class residents. At the time, no one knew it would take more than two decades for these leaders to begin to realize their vision.

“All of the land that we were being offered was, at the time, chromium contaminated and that kind of woke us up to how large that problem was in Hudson County, and in Jersey City specifically,” said Joe Morris an organizer with the Interfaith Community Organization (ICO). “We thought, well, let’s put the housing idea on hold for a couple of years and get the chromium cleaned up, and then go back to the affordable housing plans later. As it turned out, it took about 20 years.”

ICO, an interfaith grassroots organization that formed in 1987, ultimately became one of the leaders in the fight to get chromium contaminated land remediated by the companies that had once owned and operated metal finishing plants throughout Hudson County. With most of these sites now remediated, or currently being remediated, ICO has finally turned its attention to its original goal of increasing the region’s stock of affordable housing.

In one of the first realizations of that vision, the first of 22 modular townhouses were recently delivered to the development that will be known as Jackson Green on Rose Avenue in the Martin Luther King Drive Redevelopment Area, also known as The Hub. The sale price on the three-bedroom, three-story homes will range from $112,000 to about $175,000, depending on the features requested by the homeowners.

“The Jersey City Planning Board and City Council have approved thousands of housing developments, but none more important than these 22.”

All of the townhomes – which were pre-constructed in a factory and will be finished on-site – will feature a loft design, come with one parking spot, include two and a half bathrooms, and will be Energy Star certified. The higher-end units will have rear and rooftop decks, bamboo flooring, and a solar water heating option.

So far, one modular home has already been sold and three other potential home-buyers are in the process of applying for a mortgage. Interested home buyers must earn between 80 to 120 percent of the area median income, which is about $40,000 to $50,000 for a family of four.

“For us, this is a model block and it really represents the progression of different affordable housing and workforce housing projects that we’ve been advancing,” said Robert Antonicello, director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA). The JCRA owned and donated the land on which Jackson Green is being developed. “Since 2006, the hallmark for the agency was to make sure that the entire city was represented in every project we do.”

Antonicello emphasized that the 22 homes at Jackson Green will be sustainable, income inclusionary, and durable.

‘The difficult art of financing affordable housing’

A partnership between the JCRA, ICO, Honeywell, and The Reinvestment Fund (TRF), a nonprofit developer, Jackson Green will be developed for approximately $7 million.

Along with the donated land from the JCRA, ICO was able to secure a $2.5 million investment from Honeywell, one of the companies that once owned a metal finishing plant in Jersey City.

The rest of the funding for the development is coming from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency’s CHOICE Program and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME Program.

Sean Closkey, president of TRF, said the nonprofit tries to “pull the best practices from the for-profit world and the best practices from the non-profit world.”

TRF Development Partners is a non-profit housing affiliate of The Reinvestment Fund and has been able to finance the construction of affordable housing developments throughout the country.

“TRF is great at two things,” said Morris, whose organization has worked with TRF to build affordable housing in Brooklyn. “They’re really great at the difficult art of financing affordable housing, which is harder and harder to do because banks aren’t lending and there are less subsidies than there used to be,” said Morris. “And they’re great at design and building affordable housing that doesn’t look like affordable housing. The reason why we brought TRF to this is because they specialize in this, this is what they do. They are a nonprofit developer. They only do affordable housing.”

Jackson Green is not the first time the nonprofit has worked in Jersey City. TRF has provided financing for the Learning Community Charter School. And in 2005 the organization provided financing for an affordable housing development in the West Bergen neighborhood that saw the construction of 11 new homes. Like Jackson Green, the West Bergen project created affordable housing that was put up for sale. Two years later, in 2007, TRF provided financing that supported the creation of six units of special needs housing in the Greenville area.

Antonicello said the JCRA already has plans to work with TRF on other sites in Jersey City.

“It was very important for us to get TRF to do more than one project,” said Antonicello. “We didn’t want them to come in, do one project, then say, ‘Sayonara.’ We wanted to make sure that when they came in to do this project that they came in to do a project whose scale is much larger. So they are, in fact, going to be working on a lot of lots in and around the Hub that have been vacant for the better part of 20 or 30 years. The Jersey City Planning Board and City Council have approved thousands of housing developments, but none more important than these 22 townhouses…This is a real targeted approach to addressing vacant land the lack of quality housing.”

Construction on the first four Jackson Green townhomes should be completed by April.

To learn more about Jackson Green, visit www.JacksonGreenHomes.com.

Written By: E. Assata Wright, awright@hudsonreporter.com.

Source: http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/21533373/article-Thinking-out-of-the-box-Prefabricated-modular-townhomes-to-become-affordable-Jackson-Green-development-?instance=secondary_stories_left_column

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

What's the Deal With Atlantic Yards' Modular Construction?


Modular Construction Company
This week, Forest City Ratner broke ground on the next phase of the Atlantic Yards, a 32-story residential tower known as B2, which will be the world's tallest modular building. It will have 363 residential units and 4,000 square feet of retail space, which is great and all, but what exactly does modular construction entail? To get some answers, Curbed spoke with John Dolan, a project executive at Skanska USA Inc., the general contractor on the project, who worked with SHoP Architects, structural engineer Arup, and consultant Xsite Modular.

How does prefabricated construction work?
Much of what is happening today began 20 years ago. We're pre-manufacturing elements of the building off-site, whether it's a pump, piping or valve that that may be put on a truck, shipped to a job site, taken off a crane or a forklift, bolted down to a floor and connected to other pre-manufactured elements. That has been going on for years.

This is a much bigger project. What's different?
We're taking a frame, we're calling it a chassis, our largest is 36 feet long by 14 feet wide and 10-foot tall, a steel tubular frame that will house all the elements of a single studio apartment or a portion of a multi-room apartment. We have drywall framing, the light fixtures, all the appliances and all the details in bathrooms, down to the toilet paper holders on the wall, in the factory, packaged up and shipped over. The chassis are built at steel fabricators manufacturers. They'll ship those to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and then to Atlantic Yards. For the most part, one chassis will be on one truck. In some cases, two small chassis will be on one truck.

How much do you save compared to conventional construction? How much faster is it?
We estimated that it's around 12 to 15 percent in savings based what we think our effectiveness will be. We hope it'll be better than that. It does provide tangible savings, because we're producing it around four months faster than conventional construction. We expect to be done in 18 months. The conventional construction would have been 24 months.

How does the prefabricated structure compare to a normal building?
There is a denser collection of material. The overall building is lighter. Our column spacing is tighter than the normal 25 by 25-foot column grid. Our column grid is every 14 feet, but I don't want that to sound like a detriment. It's very strategically laid out so the columns are not noticeable. Most of the transitions are done in the doorway and archway. You don't see the columns; you don't know the steel columns are in the walls, although they may be wider. It's not as noticeable because we have laid out the apartment where they're concealed inside the wall.

How has new technology helped this process?
We have relied heavily on 3D modeling in the past to ensure our mechanical and electrical piping all had space. This particular project is taking the modeling effort to a new level. Everything that will be produced in a factory will be on a drawing. What we don't want to have happen is have factory production stop to try to find the dimension for something like a light switch. Everything has to be done in the model.

What impact will prefabrication have on the construction industry?
New York City building trade unions have worked very closely with Forest City Ratner and Skanska. I've worked with unions throughout my 30-year career. It’s an opportunity to evolve. We all want it to pay the bills. I think it's better for the industry that we find strategies to build elements and entire projects offsite to minimize the amount of construction that occurs on the work site. The Atlantic Yards site is very difficult to navigate around. We're reducing the amount of activity. There will be fewer trucks.

Have you done any modular buildings before?
Skanska has already completed a modular data center up in Quebec, Canada for Telus, a communications company. It was partially manufactured in Danbury, Connecticut by a mechanical contractor. Some of the technical aspects of the data center were shipped out from Wisconsin. We're building a second data center in British Columbia right now, same process. We've also done modular in Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.
What's your outlook for the future of prefabconstruction?
This will be the first of six million square feet that Forest City Ratner has committed to the city of New York. We hope this will be something we can do around the country. As a national builder, we are in nearly every state and this is a valuable system for any client. I'm expecting to go beyond the borders of New York and New Jersey.
—Roland Li
Interview has been edited and condensed.

Source: http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/12/19/whats_the_deal_with_atlantic_yards_modular_construction.php

Friday, January 18, 2013

Start A New Franchise Using Modular Construction



Starting a new franchise is a common and popular way to open a new business. Franchise options include a number of convenience stores, banks, coffee shops, delis and fast food restaurants. No matter what kind of franchise you want to open, it doesn't promise you fast cash. That’s because the timeline for a new store construction or rebuilding takes months or even years to complete.

However, if you choose the option of modular construction for your new franchise store, you can see the difference. In fact, modular construction can help your store open faster; this will in turn result in a faster return on investment.

Advantages of Choosing Modular Construction

1. Specialty Design:
With modular construction, your new franchise can be designed to match any franchise brand image with a variety of floor plans, interior and exterior finishes to choose from.

2. Faster Installation:
Another important benefit of a modular franchise is its quick installation time. In fact, modular construction allows a franchisee to open approximately 30-50 percent faster than a traditional construction project. This accelerated construction timeline allows a store to quickly open its doors and serve more customers.

3. Improved Quality:
Modular materials are securely stored in the manufacturer’s warehouse to prevent damage or moisture deterioration and ensure superior building quality.

4. Faster Return on Investment:
Modular construction allows expanding franchises to open new locations in prosperous areas quickly. The speed of which buildings are constructed allows franchise owners to serve more customers and generate revenue faster.

5. Relocatability:
Modular franchise buildings can be easily relocated to another location, should the current location prove unprofitable.

With such advantage, modular construction is the perfect choice for your new franchise.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Expanding Your Business The Modular Way

Modular Construction Company
Expanding a business with modular construction has become popular amongst business owners because of its flexibility, speed and overall effectiveness.

Fast Turnaround Time

Modular construction is the perfect choice for small and large businesses looking to expand. Because modular building construction and site work occur simultaneously, projects can be completed 30-50 percent faster. This allows overcrowded offices to expand quickly and accommodate more clients and staff. Additionally, expanding businesses can open new locations faster.

Modular A Greener Option?

Modular construction is a resource efficient and environmentally friendly building option. Modular construction in a factory controlled setting results in less material waste and improved air quality. Additionally, entire buildings or parts can be reused.

Future Expansion Is Possible

Modular buildings are built to allow for future expansion. A building can be set on a permanent or temporary foundation and can be relocatable, depending on the business’s need. Modular buildings allow for greater flexibility and future relocatability.

No Disruption To The Business

Because a great deal of the construction happens in the factory, there is less disruption to the businesses daily functions. A business owner can continue operating their business uninterrupted and not have to worry about the distracting construction process that may turn off customers.

Modular construction is one option available to businesses that are looking to expand their operations in a timely manner without compromising quality or efficiency.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Modular Construction Myths and Facts

When people think of modular construction; they often think of outdated mobile homes or small office trailers, but modular construction has advanced tremendously since its inception. Modular buildings and homes are built using the same high quality materials and meet or exceed the same building codes as traditional construction. The difference however can be seen in its flexibility and time savings.

Although some people are new to the idea of modular construction, its practice, has in fact, been around for a long time. The first modular home for sale was called the Sears Modern Home and was offered by the Sears Roebuck Company. The homes were sold through their catalog from 1908 to 1940 and were mailed to the customer in kits for assembly.
Some people still envision a standard trailer but modular homes and buildings can be custom designed to meet the unique needs of the client and virtually indistinguishable from stick-built structures. Modular buildings can be single or multi-story with a variety of interior and exterior finishes to choose from.
Another myth is that modular buildings are low quality. Nothing could be further from the truth. Built to the same standards as traditional construction and meet or exceed all state and local building codes. Modular construction is overseen by construction managers and engineers both in the factory and on-site to ensure structures are built correctly.
The only difference between a modular building and a traditional building is that the modular building is built in a factory. Modular buildings have been used not only for homes, but school buildings, hotels and lavish offices. If you want a home or building that is built to your specifications in a timely manner, then modular is the way to go.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Modular Construction in Cold Climates

Modular Construction Company
M Space Holdings

Construction in the wintertime may seem like a huge task; however, modular homes and buildings can be built in cold climates very quickly. Because the majority of construction occurs in a climate-controlled factory environment, modular construction offers the flexibility to be built at any time.

Modular homes and commercial buildings have been a popular choice in construction because sections are factory built for better quality control. Traditional construction is subject to delays due to climate changes that could affect wood, steel and other building materials. With modular construction, the majority of the work is done off site with little to no delays caused by weather. This means that there are fewer timeline restrictions, allowing modular construction to occur year round. This is particularly beneficial in areas such as North Dakota and Montana, who experience several months of cold weather.

Under normal restrictions due to weather, traditionally constructed buildings could take years to complete. Modular projects can be completed up to 40 percent faster due to the indoor construction method. This efficient construction method is useful for an array of industries including education, healthcare, business/office, retail & hospitality, corrections & public safety, government and housing & lodging.

Cold weather and/or freezing temperatures that would normally affect production or halt it completely doesn't affect modular building projects, making them a perfect choice for cold climate areas.