ATCO Structures & Logistics LTD. - Temporary Emergency Facility
The Montreal Heart Institute (ICM) temporary emergency building layout, comprising 42 modular units, was carefully planned with various hospital departments to meet the technical and operational requirements to run a busy emergency room. Extra width was added to corridors on the first level to allow for two-way traffic of hospital beds. A variation in floor tile patterns was used to mark bed locations and designated waiting and triage areas. In some areas, the lower half of the walls have an Acrovyn protection panel to minimize wear and tear. Two nurse’s stations were installed complete with a call system for each of the 30 emergency bed locations and washrooms.
The second level has spacious doctor’s offices. Large windows allow for natural light and contemporary finishes give it a less institutional feel. The install was carefully planned and executed from foundation upwards to meet the Level 02 elevator and corridor link to the hospital.
Because the building is only required for 4-5 years, and being on the neighbor’s property, it was essential the design be modular. The design includes moduleto-module interconnections of all building services to minimize work performed on site. The replacement of surface mounted fluorescent fixtures in the crawl space with DEL lighting provides a more economical and more efficient lighting in a confined space.
Redirecting the exhaust air from the suspended ceilings to the crawl space also provides ICM with a more economical and more efficient solution to heat and ventilate the mechanical crawl space. The use of driven and screwed steel pile foundation also provides for a more economical solution for dismantling at the end of project versus a standard concrete foundation. The “L-Shape” complex had the structural, electrical and mechanical building systems designed to be converted to (8) smaller single-story complexes post project at low cost.
This article originally appeared in the Modular Advantage Magazine - First Quarter 2018 released in February 2018.
More from Modular Advantage
A Huge Win for the Modular Construction Industry in Massachusetts
In early February, 2024, the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) released its proposed 10th Edition building codes. This draft included several amendments targeting modular construction that would have created an extremely difficult environment for the entire modular industry and could have eliminated the industry entirely in the state.
FEMA Announces Hawaii Housing Plan Using Modular Construction
Utah becomes the second state in the country, following Virginia, to fully adopt ICC/MBI standards 1200 and 1205. MBI will continue to work with leadership in Utah to implement the new program.
Supply and Demand: Solving Canada’s Housing Crisis One Relocatable Housing Unit at a Time
Not only do Moda Modular’s repurposed employee housing solutions cut the emissions related to construction down to nearly zero, but they also keep building materials that are often not biodegradable from slowly decaying in storage facilities.
It’s the classic environmental mantra of reduce, reuse, and recycle, scaled up and applied to building after building.
ICC/MBI Standards 1200 & 1205 Provide Foundation for Utah’s First-Ever State Modular Program
Utah becomes the second state in the country, following Virginia, to fully adopt ICC/MBI standards 1200 and 1205. MBI will continue to work with leadership in Utah to implement the new program.
Repetition, Communication, and Coordination: A QSR Case Study
This modular QSR project seemed like any another modular building on the surface. Inside, it was anything but. The rhythm, the desire to iterate and repeat, and the constant communication between all parties made it stand out.
Modular Architecture: Thinking Outside of the Box with Sara.Ann Logan
At a time when modular buildings were still seen as less than by many in the architecture and construction world, Sara.Ann Logan took the plunge and partnered to launch a design-build firm that designed, built, and constructed modular high-end single-family homes. But even though she could see the value of this kind of construction, it wasn’t universally accepted.
Colorado Developer ‘Attacks’ Attainable Housing Crisis
City, county, and state government bodies are reaching out to Fading West Development, a modular manufacturer and developer in Buena Vista, CO, to learn more about how they are using modular construction to solve the affordable housing crisis in Colorado. Governments are eager to learn how they’ve made modular development successful and profitable while meeting the growing need for affordable housing.
CES Group’s Stuart Cameron Will Convince You the Moon Is Achievable with Modularized MEP
While most people think of construction as a gradually layered process, MEP assemblies—such as the modular ones—tend to provide all-in-one installs, like a car factory. A modular MEP product helps developers, architects, and fellow modular manufacturers reach their goals through early integration and planning. MEP assemblies address all the unseen things like electrical, heating, and plumbing when looking at a finalized building. The very nature of MEP assemblies are crucial to any initial prospectus.
Automation: The Future for Offsite Modular Construction
Offsite modular construction lags far behind other industries in embracing and adopting automation. Some people believe it will decrease jobs. Others feel they’ve done okay without it, so why change? In reality, conventional construction methods simply cannot keep up. Cooper Lane of Brave Control Solutions points to the labor shortage and the housing crisis that’s rampant in Canada, the U.S., and globally.
Seizing the Modular Construction Opportunity
The CSA Public Policy Centre’s new report, Seizing the Modular Construction Opportunity, highlights how innovative modular methods can help to bring various building forms—from single unit housing to complex high-rises—online more quickly. Owing to efficient manufacturing practices and controlled factory environments, modular can achieve completion rates that are 25% to 50% faster than conventional construction approaches.