Facts About Modular Construction Part Five – Unlimited Architectural Appeal
Split-faced Block Installation Using Permanent Modular Construction
Whether it’s a freestanding facility or an addition to an existing building, modular buildings can be designed to meet or exceed the architectural aesthetics of traditional site- built structures. Ramtech’s pier and beam and slab-on-grade permanent modular construction methods can accept any exterior cladding combinations, providing the same curb appeal as site-built structures. This includes brick, block, or stone masonry, an Exterior Insulation Finishing System (EIFS), various fiber-cement sidings, and all types of architectural metal panels.
Masonry Application to a Pier and Beam Permanent Modular Building
In these images, pre-finished architectural split faced block standard concrete masonry units (CMUs) were chosen to match the exterior of the adjacent main structure. They are accompanied by a wainscot row of smooth white block at the window level with additional split faced block above that rising to two additional bands of white block at the top of the building. Today’s generation of both relocatable and permanent modular buildings have a greater degree of curb appeal and functionality than ever before. This ability to compete with the aesthetics of site-built facilities has led to an increase in the number of design professionals willing to embrace modular building systems.
- Published in Modular Building, Modular Construction, Permanent Construction
Modular Construction Continues to Grow
The modular units for Carmel Place in NYC under construction. (Courtesy nARCHITECTS)
A very positive review of the current state of the modular construction industry and the future outlook for it was recently published in The Architect’s Newspaper. The article quotes the The National Real Estate Investor which showed that in the last five years the modular construction industry has doubled in size to over $8 billion. The increased productivity and lower overall design and construction costs were indicated as the most significant factors in the choice of using modular construction for commercial projects. The article also references the 2018 Commercial Construction Index economic indicator, a report jointly published by USG Corporation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that tracks trends in commercial construction. It showed that more than 70 percent of surveyed contractors see eight distinct benefits in using modular construction including increases in efficiency, productivity, safety, and quality, while reducing risk, costs, material waste, and construction times. The reduction in the overall project timeline also leads to an increase in the opportunity costs by allowing revenue-earning buildings to begin doing so faster than facilities built using other construction methods. The whole article can be viewed here.
- Published in Commercial, Modular Building, Modular Construction, Technology