At 32 stories, the B2 residential tower at Atlantic Yards near Brooklyn has been widely lauded as a bellwether for modular construction. But since construction started about 18 months ago, only five of the floors have been built—and developer Forest City Ratner Companies now has a Chinese partner that will move forward on the next three residential buildings, using conventional construction.
According to a report in the New York Times, Forest City Ratner's development partner, Greenland Holding Group, will now have a majority stake in the 22-acre Atlantic Yards mixed-use project. The Shanghai-based firm will oversee the next three residential tower projects, while Forest City Ratner continues to move forward with B2. Completion of the 348,000-sf modular tower, comprising 930 modules and 363 apartments, had been moved to late 2015, more than a year later than planned.
MaryAnne Gilmartin, Forest City Ratner's chief executive, says technical difficulties have been substantial, both at the nearby factory that's creating the modules and on the Atlantic Yards job site. “It’s been terribly frustrating," she told the New York Times. "But I don’t think this is a referendum on modular. The best way to prove that this works is to build B2.”
The Building Team for B2 includes Skanska, FC + Skanska Modular (a collaboration between Forest City Ratner and Skanska, which is building the components), SHoP, and Arup.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Jul 9, 2013
5 innovations in high-rise building design
KONE's carbon-fiber hoisting technology and the Broad Group's prefab construction process are among the breakthroughs named 2013 Innovation Award winners by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jul 8, 2013
RSMeans cost comparisons: offices, daycare centers, convenience stores, fast food
Construction market analysts from RSMeans offer construction costs per square foot for offices, daycare centers, convenience stores, fast food.
| Jul 8, 2013
RSMeans cost comparisons: hotels, motels, and apartment buildings
Construction market analysts from RSMeans offer construction costs per square foot for hotels, motels, and apartment buildings.
| Jul 8, 2013
Learn from the world’s fastest animal: speed isn’t everything
Every schoolchild knows that the cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal—70 mph, no sweat. And, as we all know from National Geographic television documentaries, it is speed that makes Acinonyx jubatus such a fearsome hunter, right?
| Jul 3, 2013
Mid-year special: Top 13 stories for 2013 (so far)
Every six months, we like to take a look back at the stories that generated the most interest from our readers. Here's a roundup of the top 13 articles on BDCnetwork.com for the first six months of 2013.
| Jul 3, 2013
World's biggest freestanding building opens in China
Measuring a stout 100 meters high, 500 meters long, and 400 meters wide, the New Century Global Centre in the Tianfu New District of Chengdu, China, is officially the world's largest freestanding building.
| Jul 3, 2013
Mall of America will double in size after $2.5 billion expansion
The nation's largest indoor mall will undergo a $2.5 billion, 10-year expansion project that will add attractions like an NHL-sized skating rink and an indoor water park.
| Jul 3, 2013
Architects team with HUD to promote 'Rebuild By Design' competition for Hurricane Sandy recovery effort
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today announced a communications campaign urging its membership to enter the “Rebuild by Design” multi-stage regional design competition announced by Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan on June 20.
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
| Jul 1, 2013
Firestone Building Products Company LLC Announces Sustainability Report
Firestone Building Products Company, LLC, the leading manufacturer of superior “Roots to Rooftops” products for commercial building performance solutions, today announced the release of its 2012 Sustainability Report. The report, the first for Firestone Building Products Company, covers the fiscal 2012 year and is available for download at firestonebpco.com.