flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Modular construction gets boost from impacts of the pandemic

Contractors

Modular construction gets boost from impacts of the pandemic

Rising labor costs and tighter supply chains drive growth.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | October 6, 2022
Modular Construction
Courtesy Pexels.

The impact of the Covid pandemic on the construction industry appears to be fueling demand for modular construction methods, especially in the western U.S. and Canada.

Several new suppliers of modular units have come online since 2019, and existing companies have been scaling up factory capacity. Modular offers benefits that can counteract challenges that were worsened by the pandemic.

For instance, bringing the task of ordering finishes, fixtures, and construction materials under one roof streamlines the supply chain, which grew tighter and became less predictable after the pandemic struck. Modular vendors that supply finished bathrooms and kitchens remove the burden of procuring many individual products from contractors and subcontractors.

Likewise, by completing the work of multiple subcontractors up front, they relieve the pressure on contractors to hire and schedule some of the work of various trades on site, thereby easing demand for labor.

Modular construction can also speed up construction schedules. There are some drawbacks, though, including the high cost of shipping.

Developers today use modular construction for many kinds of buildings, including supportive housing, hotels, resorts, apartments, detached homes, senior living facilities, office buildings, and factories.

Related Stories

| Jun 11, 2014

5 ways Herman Miller's new office concept rethinks the traditional workplace

Today's technologies allow us to work anywhere. So why come to an office at all? Herman Miller has an answer.

| Jun 11, 2014

Esri’s interactive guide to 2014 World Cup Stadiums

California-based Esri, a supplier of GIS software, created a nifty interactive map that gives viewers a satellite perspective of Brazil’s many new stadiums.

| Jun 10, 2014

Gaudi’s famed cathedral on ice: Dutch students to construct 132-foot ice replica of Sagrada Familia

"Sagrada Familia in Ice" will be built with a mixture of wooden fibers and plain ice that is three times stronger than ice. 

| Jun 10, 2014

Built-in balcony: New skylight windows can fold out to create a patio

Roof window manufacturer Fakro offers a skylight window system that quickly converts into an open-air balcony.

| Jun 9, 2014

10 projects named 2014 AIA Small Project Award winners

Yale's funky new Ground café and a pavilion made from 53,780 recycled plastic bottles are among the nation's best new small projects. 

Smart Buildings | Jun 8, 2014

Big Data: How one city took control of its facility assets with data

Over the past few years, Buffalo has developed a cutting-edge facility management program to ensure it's utilizing its facilities and operations as efficiently, effectively, and sustainably as possible. 

| Jun 6, 2014

Must see: Can a floating city offset urban population growth in China?

AT Design Office has proposed a design for a floating city to offset increasing urban populations in China. To create the new city, a 10-square kilometer island would be made out of prefab blocks. 

| Jun 6, 2014

KPF, Kevin Roche unveil design for 51-story Hudson Yards tower in NYC [slideshow]

Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group are teaming to develop Fifty Five Hudson Yards, the latest addition to the commercial office tower collection in the 28-acre Hudson Yards development—the largest private real estate development in the history of the U.S.

| Jun 6, 2014

Shipping container ship terminal completed in Spain

In Seville, Spain, architectural firms Hombre de Piedra and Buró4 have designed and completed a cruise ship terminal out of used shipping containers.

| Jun 5, 2014

International Parking Institute names best new parking structures

Winners include garages that are architectural delights, an airport's canopied parking atrium, and an environmentally friendly garage under America's oldest park.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021