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By Chuck Savage, Modular Buildings Design &Construction for JC Elite Construction Svcs. A true understanding of modular construction for multi-family apartments and student housing M odular C onstruction
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• Reduce construction ad - ministration costs • Allow for earlier revenue generation However, what has pre- vented modular to be larger percentage of the multi- family and student housing construction market are the following: • Not designing a project from the start as modular but looking at it as an after- thought. • Not utilizing an architect who has modular experience • Not wanting to work with - in the parameters of modular • Not understanding what needs to be completed after the modular sections are delivered. • Architects not under - standing that modular does not take away from their scope of work and creativity. (They still get to design the exterior aesthetics, finishes, and MEP systems to meet the client’s requirements and budgets). For the longest time the client or end user assumed that utilizing modular con - struction meant that 100% of the project was built at the factory. On average about 60% of a project can be built at a modular factory. You still have the conventional aspects of any project such as founda- tions, basements, possible first floor commercial podium space, site utilities, elevators, and the remaining fit out of the modular which can not be completed at the factory. With a proper design up front each apartment or dor- mitory room can come from the modular factory 95% to 98% complete. There is however the work within the corridors and common areas to complete including all the MEP connections from the apartments or dorms and the vertical interconnects of the MEP systems. That is why it is so important to have a modular general contractor as part of the team to guide the client and their architect through this without having any scope gaps. What I have seen over my 40 years in mod- ular clients who hire contrac- tors who have never worked with modular construction or even worse the client who is their own general contractor has inevitability caused costs to go up because the non-expe- continued on page 16C
odular construction has been around for over a century in
Building Institute. Modular construction has been touted as the most ef- ficient way to build multi- family apartments and stu- dent housing however, the benefits of this construction has been glossed over with- out truly explaining and understanding the nuances of this system. In general, modular con- struction has proven to: • Reduce construction schedules up to 40% over conventional construction • Reduce hard construction costs by as much as 20% in certain geographic locations.
the United States, how- ever only re- cently has it come to the f o r e f r o n t since major corporations likeMarriott and Google
Chuck Savage
have jumped on the band wagon for their own projects yet even with players like this, modular only represents 5% of the market based on in- formation from the Modular
Pierson College at Yale University Dormitory
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