Katerra offers a prefabricated closet program for existing apartments and condo buildings. PHOTO: Katerra<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\u201cRight now, the biggest bang for the buck that I think we\u2019re driving beyond the price is that we are out there soliciting creative and innovative items and products that haven\u2019t even reached the marketplace yet,\u201d Bolos says. \u201cBecause we\u2019re so large, reaching out to vendors and providers \nthat … now we\u2019re bringing things to the market that most of the property owners haven\u2019t even seen yet. That\u2019s on the development side, new construction, as well as renovation.\u201d<\/p>\n
That being said, existing structures do restrict what can be done with offsite construction. For example, can modules 12 feet by 40 feet or longer be brought into an existing building? \u201cI think for retrofitting, it would certainly be a case-by-case determination. But if there is a desire to minimize onsite disturbances or a need for quicker construction completion, modular may make a great deal of sense,\u201d Hardiman says.<\/p>\n
According to Semler, another big challenge is a perceived limitation in design. He says not many architects are familiar with modular construction practices yet, and it\u2019s not being taught in schools so construction professionals don\u2019t know how to design buildings and products that optimize the use of modules into the process. \u201cAs this is gaining more popularity, people are learning, but it\u2019s kind of an on-the-job training process,\u201d Semler explains. As a result, adoption among architects and building owners is slow. \u201cIf project owners don\u2019t know about it, it\u2019s foreign and you get trapped in the same cycle. You do what you know, not what possibilities are,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
Regardless of whether modular construction seems viable at this point, change is coming to the industry\u2014and those that want to remain competitive ought to give this trend another look. As Bolos concludes: \u201cAnyone who\u2019s an owner or developer that\u2019s not taking a hard look at modular development being built in factories versus site build\u2014I don\u2019t want to say that they\u2019re ignorant\u2014but how could you not take a look at this concept and recognize [its value] compared to what you\u2019re currently doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
PHOTOS:<\/strong> Energiesprong unless otherwised noted<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When most people hear the word \u201cmodular\u201d with respect to buildings, they often mistakenly picture cheaply built mobile homes sitting atop flatbed trucks cruising down the highway. In other words, modular is regarded as somewhat of a four-letter word. But modular construction practices aren\u2019t equivalent to manufactured homes, and the industry in North America is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":148,"featured_media":47308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Modular Building Practices Are Changing the Construction Industry","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[214,25],"tags":[29681,29685,13783,29680,29678,29684,29682,29683,29679,79],"ppma_author":[48842],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Modular Building Practices Are Changing the Construction Industry - retrofit<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n