Modular construction projects picked up steam in the face of skilled labor challenges in 2018. But that’s not all they did. They pushed the limits of what’s possible and helped dispel the notion that prefab is a second-rate construction method. To see how they’re moving the industry forward, here’s a look-back at our top 5 modular construction stories of the past year. In no particular order:
Modular construction reaches new heights – the tallest modular hotel opens in the U.S. Manhattan’s 21-story, citizenM New York Bowery hotel is made of 210 modular units that were specifically designed to navigate the street width of New York City.
The need for construction solutions that reduce onsite labor grows more apparent. U.S. News editors proclaim, “The United States has a building problem.” More specifically, “Construction costs are climbing and production is lagging, in part because there aren’t enough workers to go around.”
A growing list of California hotels are using prefabricated bathroom pods to deliver better quality, faster construction while simplifying jobsite work in today’s red-hot construction market. “The pods arrive finished and ready-to-install. They speed up construction while keeping man hours down,” said Dan Dalry, Executive Vice President, davisREED Construction, about the modular units in Anaheim’s new, 345-room Cambria Hotel & Suites.
Leveraging BIM in the prefabrication space is helping improve project visibility and coordination between the trades, reports Construction Dive. Editors also note that digitally representing the modular construction building process is helping combat the preconceived notion that prefab is “shoddy construction and cheap production.”
The New York Post claims, “New York’s modular building revolution is here.” The article dives into pioneering firms who are “leading the charge, devising stylish, inventive designs that have begun to dispel the old stereotypes of modular architecture as cheap, repetitive or unreliable.”
What modular construction articles did you find the most interesting this past year? Leave us a comment below and link to the article you suggest. We’d love to read it!