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Modular Advantage Magazine

In each bi-monthly issue, Modular Advantage magazine explores a specific modular construction topic and features interviews and articles from industry experts along with news and updates from the Modular Building Institute and its members, modular building case studies, and upcoming industry events. This construction trade magazine is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the global commercial modular and relocatable buildings industry.

Printed copies are free to MBI members and include exclusive content not available anywhere else. The abridged, digital versions of each issue, available below, are available free for everyone.

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Latest Articles & Interviews

Homes as Essential Infrastructure

The housing crisis is nothing new. Across the world, federal, state, and municipal governments of all sizes are struggling with how to provide more affordable housing—quickly—to those who need it. In Canada, Paul Halucha, Deputy Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada (HICC), argues that the federal role in housing has shifted from funding at arm’s length to actively shaping outcomes.

Building the Future, Offsite

In the face of a national housing crisis, England stands at a critical inflection point where innovation, scale, and public-private partnerships must converge to meet an urgent need: more homes, and fast. Homes England is helping reshape the housing market by actively supporting MMC through a strategic blend of land development, financing, and grants.

How POJI and MOKO Are Industrializing Modular Construction Through Automated Engineering Systems

Working with Scandinavian Industrialized Building System (SIBS), POJI and MOKO helped realize a modular city concept located in Järfälla municipality of Stockholm, Sweden, with 350 apartments, communal areas, restaurants, small shops, and a preschool in a pleasant mix with experiential architecture and greenery.

Inside Boutique Modern’s Mission to Make First Homes Affordable and Efficient in The U.K.

The U.K.-based firm has been in business for 12 years, manufacturing houses for both private clients and local government, with a large chunk of its business coming from “affordable” and social housing. Working in a 32,000 square-foot factory in Newhaven, Sussex, Boutique Modern is changing decades-old thinking about constructing houses, all through the use of modular.

BoulderMOD: Producing Affordable Modular Homes While Training the Workforce of the Future

Colorado has been hit with a double whammy—a decline in the number of skilled construction workers and an increased need for affordable housing. BoulderMOD, a partnership among the city of Boulder, Flatirons Habitat for Humanity, and Boulder Valley School District, is tackling both problems and helping others do the same.

Guerdon: Seeking the ‘Holy Grail’ of Modular Construction

Guerdon, a modular manufacturer in Boise, Idaho, recently won what Laurence (Lad) Dawson, CEO and Managing Partner, describes as the ‘holy grail’ for a modular manufacturer. The RFP calls for a pipeline of six projects, totaling approximately 570
units.

State of Modular in 2025: Facing Reality

The critical and urgent reality is that the modular industry needs to open the doors to collaboration across all sectors. The sooner we stare down these challenges, the sooner we can welcome a new reality where modular is the dominant way to deliver housing for better performance, quality and all at a lower cost.

Modular Multifamily Housing as a Scalable Solution to the Housing Crisis

GreenStaxx provides a real-world, scalable solution through its standardized library of modular-ready multifamily designs and its innovative triple-decker model. Together, these offerings address the industry’s two greatest needs: efficiency and adaptability. By focusing on quality, repeatability, and collaboration, GreenStaxx is helping move modular construction from niche to mainstream and offering a practical path toward solving the housing shortage.

Sealed for Success: The Role of Waterproofing in Modular Construction

Water is one of the biggest threats to any building, causing structural damage, mold growth, and costly repairs if not properly managed. Waterproofing is the first line of defense, ensuring durability and long-term performance. As construction methods evolve, so do waterproofing solutions – moving beyond traditional coatings to advanced, factory-ready systems.

From Volume to Velocity: Scaling Multi-Family Projects Without Losing Control

When projects grow too fast without the right systems, factories run into problems. They miss deadlines, crews burn out, and quality drops. Instead of steady progress, chaos takes over. Things slow down, even with more units going through. That’s because building more isn’t enough—you also need to build smarter. That means shifting focus from volume to velocity.

The Missing Link in Modular: Developer Relevance & Messaging

Many affordable housing developers have looked at modular. Maybe even tried it. And it’s complicated. And here’s the truth: It not anybody’s fault. The problem isn’t the fabricator, architect or GC. It’s everything that happens between them. That’s where modular breaks down. And that’s where a Rooms as a Product approach changes the game.

Unlocking NYC’s Housing Potential: Scaling Modular Construction for Affordable Living

New York City stands at a pivotal moment in its housing history. With over 60,000 individuals in city-funded shelters and soaring construction costs, the city faces a housing shortfall that threatens both its economic competitiveness and social equity. Traditional building methods are proving too slow and expensive to meet demand, but a viable alternative already exists.

Housing in the EU: What’s Next for Modular and Offsite?

According to EUROSTAT, the EU averages for housing types in cities is around 70% of people live in apartments and 30% live in houses. The suburbs and towns have around 40% living in apartments and 60% living in houses. Without exception, the modular building industry can provide new build solutions for all of these requirements.

Current Issue

Featuring new interviews and articles from modular building stakeholders around the world, this issue of Modular Advantage explores the state of modular multifamily construction and the companies, communities, and countries embracing its use.

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Featured Modular Building Case Studies

Faster, Smarter, Custom-Built: A New Era of Student Housing

Modular Genius delivered a 25,000+ square foot modular student housing complex made up of 22 buildings to Catholic University: 19 cottage-style units and two larger traditional hall-style dormitory buildings, totaling 124 student beds.

Building Hope: ROC Modular’s Role in the Steveston Highway Affordable Supportive Housing Project

At ROC Modular, we knew this was the kind of project where modular construction could make a real difference. By fabricating the building in modules offsite and assembling them on location, we could cut down construction time significantly while maintaining the high standards required by BC Housing and CMHC Universal
Design Guidelines.

How Caster Concepts Redefined Durability in Modular Construction

Frequent failures, high maintenance, and operational slowdowns became a challenge that Autovol wanted to solve as quickly as possible. The solution to the problem was Caster Concepts’ ten 81 Series Kingpinless Heavy-Duty Casters, each rated to handle over 10,000 lbs.

Midland Apartments

The Midland Apartments in Buena Vista, Colorado, are a standout example of how innovative thinking and collaboration can solve housing challenges. A key to the project’s success was its use of offsite modular
construction.

FlexDecks Provides Modular Egress Access to Omaha Custom Manufacturing

FlexDecks provided a modular system, RightWay Pro, which allowed for configuration and quoting within hours. Simple step by step instructions helped
the facilities team assemble the system within a single day, while FlexDecks provided install supervision for peace of mind.

Safe Modular Construction with Aerofilm Air Caster Transport

In collaboration with Aerofilm Systems, Heijmans developed innovative skids using air caster technology for moving modules easily and safely. These pallets are equipped with an auto-flow system, making operation extremely simple.

Building the Future: Triumph Modular’s Construction Services Team and Their Summer 2024 Masterpiece

In the summer of 2024, Triumph Modular’s Construction Services team undertook one of its most ambitious projects: $306 million modular construction initiative for the Manchester Public School system in New Hampshire.

Wilmot Modular Structures, Inc. Corporate Campus

Wilmot required a modern, efficient headquarters to showcase their modular construction expertise while fostering team collaboration and innovation. The facility was designed to streamline operations, reflect the company’s commitment to sustainability, and support long-term growth under multigenerational leadership.

Castlegar Student Housing, Selkirk College

Modular construction was chosen as the ideal solution to provide high-quality, fast-track affordable housing for students, delivering a 3-storey, 30-module, 114-student bed building with a mass-timber main common
area for student amenities.

Manchester Public Schools Temporary Classroom Space

The buildings can accommodate up to 1,000 students during construction of permanent buildings, allowing education to proceed without interruption. The modern and fully equipped modular learning spaces ensure a smooth transition for both students and staff.

Oldivai on 31st – Modular Housing, Rinse and Repeat

With a “kit-of-parts” approach, Oldivai on 31st demonstrated how a predesigned layout could deliver consistent programming and rapid deployment.

Hawthorn Extended Stay by Wyndham—Jackson, WY

The plan was to build the project in two phases. This would enable the property to open sooner and start
accommodating guests while completing the second phase. The digital twin was designed to provide a complete factory-ready model for both phases upfront. That gave the factory everything it needed to bring each phase into production quickly. It also enabled everyone a way to plan both
phases ahead of time, and begin prepping the site in advance.

102-108 Westford Street

102-108 Westford was an opportunity for New England-based GreenStaxx to show how project costs could be trimmed by using a standardized, modular-ready Triple Decker design.

Geberit In-Wall Systems Makes a New Breed Luxury Room Concept a Reality for International Hotel Brand

Geberit in-wall flush toilet systems for wall-hung toilets are the classics for modern bathroom design. citizenM has specified the Geberit systems into their bathroom walls worldwide as a basis of their bathroom design. This installation is part of the over one million times building owners have installed Geberit systems in their buildings around the globe for over the past 50 years.

Panel Built Provides Custom Modular Enclosure for Major Beverage Manufacturer

The challenge was twofold. Firstly, Panel Built needed to create a spacious enclosure that could accommodate a large facility crane. This enclosure required a design that provided ample storage space and integrated seamlessly with the existing infrastructure. Secondly, the structure needed to incorporate office space that offered personnel an unimpeded, 360-degree view of the factory floor.

Fire Station 67

Fire Station 67 is designed in direct response to the climate crisis, the increasing threat of wildfires, and the needs to the Rancho Mission Viejo community. Prefabricated off-site and assembled from 10 modules, the 4,667-square-foot fire station is a modular design with the ability to reconfigure the structure into something new in the future.

Maceo May

Maceo May is a six-story, all-electric modular construction, affordable housing development located on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. The climate-responsive design provides 104 homes for formerly homeless veterans and their families with a strong focus on decarbonization, resilience and wellness. The apartment building offers 1 on-site manager’s unit, and a mix of 24 studio, 47 one-bedroom and 34 two-bedroom units.

The Sphere Made Possible with Exterior Wall Panels

This one-of-a-kind structure required one-of-a-kind building materials and exterior cladding that could accommodate the atypical geometries, project timelines, and significant daily foot traffic. Offsite construction, in the form of Dryvit’s Outsulite prefabricated panels of continuous insulation (CI), was the key method for streamlining the façade installation and ensuring quality control for the difficult building connections.

Modular Construction for Financial Viability: The Norwalk Project Case Study

The Norwalk project serves as a prime example of how Offsite Modular Construction, in collaboration with Architects, Consultants/Engineers, General Contractors (GC), and Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection (MEP/FP) Subcontractors, can make projects financially feasible by closely working with the Owner/Developer under an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) approach.

STAAT MOD Patient Bed Expansion at M Health Fairview – St. John’s Hospital

Construction firm The Boldt Company, and interdisciplinary design firm, HGA were engaged by St. John’s Hospital to deliver a 16-bed ICU patient observation wing onto the existing facility, built to over 90 percent completion offsite in Appleton, Wisc., then seamlessly transported and installed on the St. John’s campus – the first of its kind in the state of Minnesota.

Online Exclusives

Recent Issues

July/August 2025
March/April 2025
January/February 2025
November/December 2024

Past Articles & Interviews

Bethany Terraces

Behind the Design of Bethany Senior Terraces, NYC’s First Modular Passive House Senior Housing Project

As more developers seek to meet new regulations for energy efficiency, the team at Murray Engineering has set a new record. With the Bethany Senior Terraces project, Murray Engineering has helped to develop NYC’s first modular structure that fully encompasses passive house principles — introducing a new era of energy efficiency in the energy-conscious city that never sleeps.

How LAMOD is Using Modular to Address Inefficiency, Sustainability, and the Future of Construction

As developers, designers, and contractors seek to understand the evolving needs of the modular industry, no one is as well-versed in the benefits of going modular as Mārcis Kreičmanis. As the co-founder and CBDO of LAMOD in Riga, Latvia, Mārcis has made it his ultimate goal to address the inefficiencies of traditional construction.

Emmons at drawing the table his father gave him for his 10th birthday / PHOTO: KATHRYN ELSESSER

From Furniture Builder to ‘Activist Architect’: Stuart Emmons’ Unique Journey

Stuart Emmons was fascinated by buildings at a young age. He remembers building sand cities with his brother during trips to the Jersey shore. His father gave him his first drawing table at the age of ten. Today, he is an experienced architect who received his FAIA in June 2025. The road he took is unique, to say the least.

Forge Craft Architecture + Design: Codes, Contracts, and Intellectual Property

Founding Principal and Director of Modular Practice for Forge Craft Architecture + Design, Rommel Sulit, discusses the implications of codes, contracts, and intellectual property on
modular construction.

Eisa Lee, XL Architecture & Modular Design

Eisa Lee, the “Bilingual” Architect

Now as the founder of XL
Architecture and Modular Design in Ontario, Canada, she applies not just her education as a traditional architect but an entire holistic view on modular design. It’s this expansive view that guides her work on being a true partner that bridges the gap between architects and modular factories as they collaborate on the design process.

Tamarack Grove Engineering: Designing for the Modular Sector

The role of a structural engineer is crucial to the success of a modular project, from initial analysis to construction administration. Tamarack Grove offers structural engineering services — project analysis, plan creation, design creation, and construction administration — for commercial, manufacturing, facilities, public services, and modular. Modular is only one market sector the company serves but it is an increasingly popular one.

Yuri Yurianto, Modular Structural Consultants

Engineer Masters the Art of Listening to His Customers

Since founding Modular Structural Consultants, LLC. in 2014, Yurianto has established a steady following of modular and container-based construction clients, primarily manufacturers. His services often include providing engineering calculations, reviewing drawings, and engineering certification

Inside College Road: Engineering the Modules of One of the World’s Tallest Modular Buildings

College Road is a groundbreaking modular residential development in East Croydon, South London by offsite developer and contractor, Tide, its modular company Vision Volumetric (VV), and engineered by MJH Structural Engineers.

Design for Flow: The Overlooked Power of DfMA in Modular Construction

Unlocking higher throughput, lower costs, and fewer redesigns by aligning Lean production flow with design for manufacturing and assembly.

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