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
AoRa Development Aims for New York’s First Triple Net Zero Building Using Modular Methods
More cities are providing funding for newer infrastructure projects as long as they meet sustainability requirements. This is how modular can fit the bill, thanks to its lower waste production.
Developers and Designers: Lessons Learned with Modular Design
Modular construction is attractive to many developers because sitework and module construction can occur simultaneously, shortening the schedule and reducing additional costs.
UTILE: Putting Modular Building on a Fast Track
In Quebec, UTILE is taking the lead in creating affordable modular buildings to help decrease the student housing shortage. During the process, the company discovered what it takes to make the transition to modular building a success.
Sobha Modular Teaches Developers How to Think Like Manufacturers
With its 2.7 million square foot factory in UAE, Sobha Modular is bringing both its high-end bathroom pods to high-end residences to Dubai while developing modular projects for the U.S. and Australia.
RoadMasters: Why Early Transport Planning is Make-or-Break in Modular Construction
In modular construction, transportation is often called the “missing link.” While it rarely stops a project outright, poor planning can trigger costly delays, rerouting, and budget overruns.
Navigating Risk in Commercial Real Estate and Modular Construction: Insights from a 44-Year Industry Veteran
Modular projects involve manufacturing, transportation, and on-site assembly. Developers must understand exactly what they are responsible for versus what they subcontract. Risk advisors should research the developer’s contractors, subcontractors, and design-build consultants—especially the modular manufacturer.
Art²Park – A Creative Application of Modular and Conventional Construction
Art²Park is more than a park building—it’s a demonstration of what modular construction can achieve when thoughtfully integrated with traditional materials. The use of shipping containers provided not only speed and sustainability benefits but also a powerful structural core that simplified and strengthened the rest of the building.
Building Smarter: A New Standard in Modular Construction Efficiency
Rising material prices, labour shortages, expensive financing and tightening environmental rules have made conventional construction slower, costlier, and more unpredictable. To keep projects on schedule and within budget, builders are increasingly turning to smarter industrialized methods.
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Featured Modular Building Case Studies
Pomeroy Employee Housing
The Pomeroy Lodging Employee Housing complex in Kananaskis, AB, is a 24,194 sq. ft., three-story structure with 57 studio units and a communal main-level area, designed for full-time employees and comprised of 36 prefabricated modules.
Scalable & Smart EV Charging Containers
NexE, the green energy sister company of TECO-Westinghouse, partnered with Falcon Structures to design and build portable enclosures for EV fleet operators interested in re-deployable units that support EV charging depots with significant cost savings. The goal: create durable, relocatable EV infrastructure solutions that sidestep the constraints of traditional construction.
732 El Camino Real
Each living unit at 732 El Camino Real was built in the Autovol plant by a combination of robots and Autovol’s skilled builders. Work was completed for all 134 units in 51 days. The living units left the factory as fully functioning apartments—approved in factory by California inspectors to meet all applicable codes.
Heat-Resistant Equipment Enclosure for Industrial Ovens
To house the end customer’s industrial-strength ovens, Panel Built created over 400 heat-resistant panels, each built to exact specifications and clearly labeled for straightforward placement. Panel heights ranged between 7 and 9 feet, with a uniform thickness of 3.75 inches.
LIFE Senior Services
The installation of Solatube TDDs in the new recreation facility successfully met the project’s goals for daylighting, comfort and functionality. The space which houses indoor pickleball and basketball is now naturally illuminated with bright, evenly distributed daylight that enhances visibility and supports safe movement for senior users.
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.
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Recent Issues
Past Articles & Interviews
Strong, Resilient, Sea-Crossing Boxes Repurposed Efficiently As Homes
Shipping containers have been manufactured in excess, to the point that some sit without being used. Creative designers saw that unused product, recognized its strength, resiliency, size and structure, and soon imagined it as a home. Now, in an environment where housing is in critical demand, shipping containers have been used in all types of housing.
How Rebel Concept Harnesses AI as a Design Tool to Improve the DFMA Process
“The complexity of projects and the size of project are so large, and the technology is so complicated that AI would do it so much faster than we are,” says Kris Droszcz, CEO at Rebel Concept. “Everybody’s struggling to control the manufacturing processes according to the design. And I think that’s what AI will do.”
One Answer from AI Can Provide Innumerable Opportunities, says Stack Modular’s Jim Dunn
The Stack AI Engine is not fully functional yet, but it offers an unlimited number of productivity benefits. Currently, the company is using AI for cost estimates, most recently for a project out in California.
GrayWolf: Building the Future of Modular Data Centers to Power the AI Revolution
The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based applications has created an urgent need for data centers capable of managing massive amounts of data. As businesses across industries increasingly rely on digital infrastructure to power their AI tools, the demand for data centers has skyrocketed.
Artificial Intelligence: Yes, it is a Construction Game-Changer
Much like other sectors of the economy, AI is reshaping construction, revolutionizing how projects are planned and executed across the country. While it is obvious that AI cannot do certain things by itself, like laying bricks, paving roads, or shingling roofs, its impact stands to be both massive and positive.
The Potential and Possibilities of AI for Offsite
AI is everywhere. Many industries have incorporated AI into business as usual with new organizational structures and new dependencies to be more efficient and to automate repetitive tasks. Offsite construction will not be immune to AI’s ubiquity. The technology offers unique benefits to the offsite building process.
Moving from AI Hype to an AI Advantage
Learning about AI will help you see past the overinflated hype and identify the opportunities specific to your own business. Learning about AI is like peeling an onion – each layer reveals something new, and occasionally it might make your eyes water. But in the end, you’ll have all the ingredients you need to cook up some real innovation in your organization.
The Blueprint for Smart and Ethical AI Integration in Your Business
The journey toward smart and ethical AI integration involves crafting a strategic vision that aligns AI’s transformative potential with your organizational goals. True success with AI is measured by its capacity to enhance human capabilities, foster sustainable growth, and generate value for all stakeholders while actively avoiding ethical pitfalls and harmful risks.
Five Factors for Success When Shifting Your Business to Modular
As labor, competitive and cost factors push more contractors and developers to embrace the opportunity to go modular as a first choice and not a last resort, it’s become clear that adopting this new model requires more than just a willingness to make it happen. Here are five factors to consider as your company moves to a modular construction model:
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