Few colleges or universities have embraced prefabrication more wholeheartedly than Valparaiso (Ind.) University. The Lutheran-based institution completed a $27 million residence hall this past summer in which the structural elements were all precast. The modular bathroom pods were manufactured in and shipped from New Jersey.
“The primary motivation for prefab was an accelerated schedule,” says Andy Frank, Construction Executive with Mortenson Construction. Much of the structural and exterior work on the 85,000-sf building was completed before the start of winter, which was critical in an area prone to blinding snowfalls fed by nearby Lake Michigan.
Manufacturing precast flooring planks and exterior panels that mimic limestone and brick masonry in a climate-controlled plant saved two to three months on the construction schedule, says Frank. The modular bathroom units, made by AmeriPOD, Dayton, N.J., shaved another month off the construction timetable of the suite-style residence hall. The time savings enabled the building to be ready for the fall 2014 semester.
FGM Architects and Mortenson collaborated on the design-build project using 3D BIM modeling to deliver a Collegiate Gothic structure that blends in with the prevailing campus architectural style. One of the critical factors in the construction process was leaving wall openings large enough for the bathroom pods to be transported from a staging area at one end of each floor through the building to their final position. Workers rolled the bathroom units through each floor to a preformed depression, where they were lowered by jacks into place.
Frank attributes the success of the prefab approach in part to the type of project. “When you have a large number of users involved in programming the building”—such as an academic building shared by multiple departments—“you’re going to need a longer design process,” he says. Housing projects tend be more suitable for prefab because they usually have a limited number of stakeholders—in the Valparaiso project, primarily residential life officials and some students.
Related Stories
Education Facilities | Jul 26, 2022
Malibu High School gets a new building that balances environment with education
In Malibu, Calif., a city known for beaches, surf, and sun, HMC Architects wanted to give Malibu High School a new building that harmonizes environment and education.
| Jul 26, 2022
Better design with a “brain break”
During the design process, there aren’t necessarily opportunities to implement “brain breaks,” brief moments to take a purposeful pause from the task at hand and refocus before returning to work.
Building Team | Jul 25, 2022
First Ismaili Center in the U.S. combines Islamic design with Texas influences
Construction has begun on the first Ismaili Center in the U.S. in Houston.
Codes and Standards | Jul 22, 2022
Office developers aim for zero carbon without offsets
As companies reassess their office needs in the wake of the pandemic, a new arms race to deliver net zero carbon space without the need for offsets is taking place in London, according to a recent Bloomberg report.
Codes and Standards | Jul 22, 2022
Hurricane-resistant construction may be greatly undervalued
New research led by an MIT graduate student at the school’s Concrete Sustainability Hub suggests that the value of buildings constructed to resist wind damage in hurricanes may be significantly underestimated.
School Construction | Jul 22, 2022
School integrating conventional medicine with holistic principles blends building and landscape
Design of the new Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville, Ark., aims to blend the building and landscape, creating connections with the surrounding woodlands and the Ozark Mountains.
Market Data | Jul 21, 2022
Architecture Billings Index continues to stabilize but remains healthy
Architecture firms reported increasing demand for design services in June, according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Market Data | Jul 21, 2022
Despite deteriorating economic conditions, nonresidential construction spending projected to increase through 2023
Construction spending on buildings is projected to increase just over nine percent this year and another six percent in 2023, according to a new report from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Mixed-Use | Jul 21, 2022
Former Los Angeles Macy’s store converted to mixed-use commercial space
Work to convert the former Westside Pavilion Macy's department store in West Los Angeles to a mixed-use commercial campus recently completed.
Building Team | Jul 20, 2022
San Francisco overtakes Tokyo as the world’s most expensive city for construction
San Francisco has overtaken Tokyo as the world’s most expensive city for construction, according to a new report from Turner & Townsend.
