In this episode of Mainstream Modular, host Gabrielle interviews modular consultant Scott Murphy. Scott explains that as a modular consultant, he works with banks, developers, builders, and other parties to ensure that units being built in factories meet the standards and requirements of the project. His role involves monitoring the units throughout the construction process, reviewing architectural drawings, overseeing changes and modifications, and ultimately signing off on the units for shipment or payment. Scott shares that his experience in the industry over the past 10 years has allowed him to develop expertise in catching potential issues early on and eliminating site rework.
21 Jun 2023
Improving the Homeless Housing Crisis in Los Angeles Gets a Much-Deserved Lift at 6th Street Place
Amid the homeless housing crisis in Los Angeles, a glimmer of hope appears in the
form of modular housing projects designed to provide much-needed shelters for the
homeless community. LA is home to over 40,000 homeless individuals, a number that’s
seen a sharp increase of 16% over the past year. Yet, innovative design principles and
strategies are making a tangible impact on this pressing issue, offering a timely and
increasingly successful solution to homelessness.
7 Jun 2023
Designing For The Factory
Learn about the key considerations and tips for efficient modular design in the latest episode of the Mainstream Modular podcast.
17 May 2023
Why Choosing the Right Modular Manufacturer Matters
MacKenzie Thorn, Director of Multi-Family at Aspen Starwood, talks about her construction project and what to consider when choosing a modular manufacturer.
26 Apr 2023
Fastest Growing Markets within the Modular Construction Industry
Matt Mitchell, President at ProSet Modular, shares his journey in the modular construction industry and geographical, price point, and industry trends during his more than three decades of experience in the modular construction industry.
28 Feb 2023
Modular Altruism: What Is The 6th Place Project?
In this episode of Modular Altruism, brought to you by Guerdon, host Gabrielle Bejarano spoke at length with Matthew Mayoya, Senior Project Manager at Suffolk Construction about The 6th Place Project and its actionable industry insights.
13 Oct 2022
Proven Performance Methods That Work with Tommy Rakes
Guerdon’s new CEO Tommy Rakes chats about his vision for the future and the proven processes for building a successful modular company.
28 Sept 2022
Department of Energy Study on Modular Energy Consumption with Dr. Jon Elliott
Dr. Jon Elliott summarizes the layout and structure of a three-year Department of Energy research project that compares modular construction to traditional onsite multi-family builds.
13 Sept 2022
Going All in on Modular with Vijay Patel
Modular construction is growing in popularity and use and for good reason. But not everyone starts off believing in or knowing about the quality build modular provides, including Vijay Patel, a modular construction expert. Host Tyler Kern sat down with Patel as he explained the key reasons he converted to modular construction for his builds and what advice he would give to those looking to make the switch.
A self-proclaimed “construction junkie” Patel started his journey in the hospitality industry ten years ago, amassing a portfolio of hotels around the country. He was first introduced to a modular build in the 1980s, which is markedly different than the builds of today but which sparked an interest in the process. Patel said, “...I was intrigued at the idea that something could be built off site…so the seeds were planted many, many years ago.”
When an opportunity to build modular came about, Patel knew he couldn’t miss it. “I was definitely on board. I mean, to have all of our guest rooms completely furnished, from carpet to tile to vinyl, bedding. Everything is in there that would take months and months of hair-pulling during a construction project that having a complete unit sent to us was something that I thought…just resonated with me,” he reflected.
With a hard-working team behind him, Patel said building modular took precision, “We did our homework. We actually spent the time early on.” This is perhaps a key difference for most. With on-site and off-site work ongoing concurrently, doing early homework on the needs, designs, and construction process of the build is pertinent to a successful project.
For Patel, the off-site work needed to be of the highest standard, as quality in his industry is a key ingredient for success. With perfect finishes, modular construction offered excellent construction quality which “won’t bring us any further issues”.
28 Jul 2022
Circular Economics in Modular Construction
There is an inherent amount of waste generated by the construction process. However, building methods like modular construction can provide ways to reduce that statistic. To discuss this topic, host of Mainstream Modular, Tyler Kern, welcomed John Killingsworth, associate professor in construction management at Colorado State University, to explain how this is possible.
“New construction produces well over 20% of the solid waste that goes into the landfill, and that’s just the process of building,” Killingsworth said. “That number gets significantly higher — in excess of thirty percent — when we consider the waste produced by demolishing old buildings when they reach the end of their useful life.”
It’s no secret that the built environment utilizes many natural resources in the construction process. When buildings reach the end of their usefulness and demolition occurs, the materials end up in a landfill, and that waste of resources is a lost opportunity to recycle/repurpose. Sustainable building practices are essential, but often those solutions are not regenerative and could require updates or replacement parts down the road.
Extending a building’s lifecycle is critical, and a circular economic model attempts to achieve that goal through the design and production of products that will reduce waste in the manufacturing and construction process. Killingsworth emphasized, “Are we building in a way that we can keep the buildings in the economic cycle or in use, for longer than twenty, thirty, fifty years?”
Modular construction utilizes five principles that guide circular economics: building accessible layers, designing out waste, designing for adaptability, designing for disassembly, and material selection. According to Killingsworth, the material selection is at the core of circularity.
3 May 2022
Perspectives on Modular Construction in the City of LA with Matthew Wickersham
Matthew Wickersham, a Principal with AMJ Construction Management, Inc., focuses on building projects for the affordable housing market. He joined Mainstream Modular’s Tyler Kern to discuss AMJ’s history with modular construction and a recent undertaking in the city of Los Angeles, CA.
Wickersham began exploring modular construction as a solution to the housing crisis about five years ago,“It presented an opportunity to bring to market occupiable units at a much faster rate than the LA market has seen before,” he said.
Several years of exploration and feasibility studies later, the 6th and San Julian project kicked off. This project replaces a three-story light industrial building with new six-story affordable housing. As a mixed-use building it will house up to 90 residential units for low, and very-low-income households as well as provide ground-floor commercial space.
This project could pave the way for more modular construction affordable housing in the LA market. Wickersham was part of a task force to figure out all the various planning, coding, and permit issues and work with all the city departments to ensure a modular undertaking of this magnitude would make a good fit. Currently, there are six different modular affordable housing construction projects underway in Los Angeles that will take place over the next couple of years.
Wickersham said the modular approach makes it possible to do these projects faster. And one of the challenges was finding a partner that could deliver the project with tight deadline demands.
“Guerdon came in at a time when we desperately needed a factory partner that was going to be able to deliver this project,” Wickersham said. “They stepped in and took control. We went through some redesign with them to optimize the project for their assembly line. Ultimately, Guerdon brought a huge amount of experience to the team to get the product on the line into construction. We look forward to setting those units here in the next couple of months.”
30 Mar 2022
Modular Construction: Here and Now with Tom Hardiman
The modular construction industry has seen record growth since 2015. Once considered a lower quality and cheaper alternative to traditional construction, the industry has found a new life as a viable solution to construction needs.
10 Mar 2022
Developing Housing for the City of Aspen with Weston Bierma
Modular consultant Weston Bierma highlights the benefits of the Burlingame Ranch Phase 3 project in Aspen, Colorado
1 Mar 2022
An Architect’s Open Source Conversations on Modular with Matt Laase
When Matthew Laase, Principal at Jackson | Main Architecture, worked overseas doing architecture projects in Russia and the Middle East, he noticed something about housing—it was readily available. Once returned to the U.S., Laase saw America’s housing shortage as a problem worth fixing. He spoke about these housing challenges and what he sees as the solutions with Mainstream Modular’s Tyler Kern.
“Many of the communities that I’m involved in are tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands behind in providing the kind of housing they really need to support the community,” Laase said. “It’s something I think about whenever we do a project. It’s how can we make sure that these are good, livable spaces because people need places to live.”
Jackson | Maine is a champion of modular construction because of its value to a housing project. Modular makes these construction projects more accessible to the industry, from workforce housing to affordable homes.
Laase said it could be easy to get lost in the headlines on some advantages modular construction brings to a project. It is critical to keep one thing in mind—modular is a different building approach with a different perspective in design.
“Decisions have to be made much earlier in the process,” Laase said. “You can’t have the project under construction and decide, ‘I want to change out all the sinks or something else.’ Or ‘I don’t like these refrigerators; let’s get a different one.’ All those decisions are made early in the process.”
Another thing Laase said a builder must consider with modular construction is some costs require payment upfront due to the nature of the work done ahead of assembly. Paying 50% or more of the expenses at the beginning of the project may be a new procedure for some builders. Planning and researching a modular construction project is the key to success.
4 Jan 2022
Commercial Modular’s Momentum with Joe Uhlenkott
Joe Uhlenkott discussed modular’s growing popularity in the commercial housing market.
26 Oct 2021
The Engineering Specifics of Modular Construction with Troy Bean
Troy Bean discusses specific engineering aspects of modular construction.
26 Oct 2021
Modular Construction in the Hospitality Industry
Mahesh Parekh discusses modular construction’s role within today’s hospitality industry.
26 Oct 2021
The Rising Demand for Modular Construction
Michael Merle discusses the increasing demand for modular construction in commercial building projects.
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