The
word Modular can be a dirty word, suggesting
temporary disaster-zone structures and the
Shady Lane Trailer Park.
But simply put, modular construction is
a term for parts of buildings that are manufactured
off-site, from roof sections to entire multiroom
dwellings, in standard sizes and shipped
for assembly elsewhere. Of course, that's
not really new; in 1906, the Aladdin Company
was dropping factory-made Readi-Cut house
kits in the US mail. One hundred years later,
technology is helping create striking modern
homes and multifamily structures built to
the same codes as housing that is constructed
on-site, for less money and in less time.
In overheated real estate markets, both
developers and individuals are turning to
Modulars as an alternative to mass-market
tract housing or expensive custom-designed
homes. Avi Friedman, an architecture professor
at
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McGill
University, estimates that 5 to 10 percent
of all new homes in North America are modulars
(and about 10 percent of that market is
upscale). He predicts that modulars will
jump to more than 35 percent in the next
10 years.
The future can already be seen in places
like Sweden, where more than 70 percent
of new housing are modulars (including Ikea's
housing line), or Japan, where modular homes
made by subsidiaries of Toyota and Panasonic
are considered premium residences.
"They have factory lines there
with robots building wall panels. They put
together housing components with the toler-
ance of Lexus automobiles, where the panels
match perfectly."
The benefits of Modular Housing are hard
to ignore. For starters, it eliminates much
of the uncertainty surrounding what proponents
call stick-built homes. |
Construction happens indoors, so there's
never weather-related
delay or damage. Manufacturers trim costs
by ordering in bulk, and unused materials
are kept for later use (some studies say
construction materials account for nearly
a third of landfill waste). Houses are
typically built on a flat surface, which
ensures a truly plumb structure. That
also keeps the crew off high ladders,
so workers' comp claims are lower.
All this streamlines the process, commoditizing
architecture and turning the house into
a product using economies of scale and
standardized design processes that make
for savings in time and cost.
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