Modo, the first modular apartment building in Washington, D.C. has begun construction. In a period of only eight days 44 custom designed modular boxes shipped from Pennsylvania were lifted into place by crane to create 16 of Modo’s 17 three-bedroom apartments.
The modules arrived onsite 80% finished. Each three-bedroom Modo apartment features built-in custom closets, shelving, desks meant to facilitate remote working, and a spacious living room with a pre-installed jumbo flat-screen TV.
“We were looking for more efficient and environmentally-friendly alternatives to typical construction types,” said Grant Epstein, President of Community Three, the project’s developer, in a release. “Modular construction can reduce construction time by almost one-third, while generating far less onsite construction waste. Construction components typically exposed to the elements – such as windows and wood framing – are built with higher quality because they are assembled indoors. As a result, these modular units offer superior insulation, weather barriers, sound attenuation, and indoor finishes compared with those constructed traditionally.”
The community is designed to appeal to the twenty-somethings of Generation Z, with enough bedrooms to accommodate multiple roommates. An automated entry system will allow tenants to use a smartphone app to access both the building and their apartments.
In addition to the apartments, a concrete-and-steel podium, under construction since April, will house the building’s lobby and a 3,000-sf street-level retail space that can provide over 100 outdoor cafe seats. The lobby will be furnished with a seating area for relaxing, eating, and remote working. A green roof deck with seating and grilling areas will also be included, along with a single penthouse apartment with a private outdoor terrace that is being built on the roof level.
Urban Pace will begin pre-leasing the apartments in March, 2021. Community Three is partnering with Washington, DC-based Rooney Properties on the project. The team worked with the Modular Mobilization Coalition to select Philadelphia-based VBC Construction as modular contractor. VBC in turn partnered with Scranton, PA-based Simplex Homes as the modular fabricator. The manufacturing team worked closely with DC-based project architect Eric Colbert & Associates to ensure seamless integration of market focus and construction methodology.
Related Stories
| Nov 15, 2011
Miller joins Perkins Eastman as regional manager, Middle East and Northern Africa
Miller joins Perkins Eastman with more than 48 years of experience in architecture, design management, and construction administration for planning and infrastructure.
| Nov 14, 2011
303 East 33rd Street building achieves LEED-NC
The 165,000 sf 12-story residential building is the first green development to be LEED certified in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan.
| Oct 17, 2011
Austin's newest urban apartment complex under construction
Complex sits on a four-acre waterfront site along Lady Bird Lake with spectacular city and lake views, and is slated to open spring 2013.
| Oct 12, 2011
FMI’s Construction Outlook: Third Quarter 2011 Report
Construction Market Forecast: The general economy is seeing mixed signs.
| Oct 6, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: NEXT Living EcoSuite showcased
Tridel teams up with Cisco and Control4 to unveil the future of green condo living in Canada.
| Sep 29, 2011
Kohler supports 2011 Solar Decathlon competition teams
Modular Architecture > In a quest to create the ultimate ‘green’ house, 20 collegiate teams compete in Washington D.C. Mall.
| Sep 23, 2011
$5M pledge renewed for Habitat for Humanity
The five-year commitment, which will run through 2015, includes $5 million of donated interior and exterior locks and keys for homes built with Habitat for Humanity homeowner partners and volunteers.
| Sep 23, 2011
Under 40 Leadership Summit
Building Design+Construction’s Under 40 Leadership Summit takes place October 26-28, 2011 Hotel at the Monteleone in New Orleans. Discounted hotel rate deadline: October 2, 2011.
| Sep 20, 2011
Jeanne Gang wins MacArthur Fellowship
Jeanne Gang, a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship winner described by the foundation as "an architect challenging the aesthetic and technical possibilities of the art form in a wide range of structures."
| Sep 12, 2011
Living Buildings: Are AEC Firms up to the Challenge?
Modular Architecture > You’ve done a LEED Gold or two, maybe even a LEED Platinum. But are you and your firm ready to take on the Living Building Challenge? Think twice before you say yes.