Custom Modular Buildings

Custom modular buildings, or prefabricated buildings, can trace their modern origins to the Quonset hut and similar structures that were developed first by the British during World War I and later by the U.S. military to house personnel and use as work quarters. Today's modular buildings are constructed in self-contained components, according to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and International Building Codes, and transported to the site for assembly.

Types

In addition to residential dwellings, modular buildings can include churches, retail offices, schoolrooms, fast-food restaurants and small medical buildings. Luxury cruise ships employ modular construction for cabins, in which completed single modular cabin units are installed in the ship's hull at the shipyard.

Modular Homes

Perhaps the most popular application of custom modular building is residential homes that can feature basic floor plans similar to mobile homes or extensive designs that may include two-story floor plans. Modular homes can be custom-built for buyers who request the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, additional rooms and square footage. Floor plans also can include an attached garage configuration with utility room and allowances for proper setbacks and easements on the property.

Architecture

Architectural flourishes such as Cape Cod and ranch-style homes with gables and dormers can be ordered. Modular houses can feature wide sweeping porches. Recent improvements in compartmentalizing units has allowed builders to design homes with two fireplaces, custom kitchens and bathrooms and better use of space.

Construction

Modular structures are typically constructed in a large indoor factory on an automobile-like assembly line. Modular homes may consist of two major components for assembly at a building site or can include more complicated multiple units for assembly, depending on the structure. They must meet the same building standards of any permanent commercial or residential building.

Exceeding Standards

While HUD and IBC standards apply to modular construction, virtually all modular builders exceed construction industry standards by using more steel components and other high-durable materials due to the stress to the structure that will happen during loading, transportation and off-loading at the building site.

Rotating Towers

In 2008, perhaps the most ambitious custom modular building project was announced by the United Kingdom-based Rotating Tower Dubai Development, which is building rotating skyscrapers in Moscow and Dubai by first manufacturing each self-contained module with plumbing and wiring at a plant in Italy. The separate modules are then shipped to the two cities and then assembled floor by floor. Contractors in Dubai estimated a 10 percent savings on construction costs through using this method.

Green Movement

The modular structure has helped support the "green" movement, as more commercial and residential builders and buyers demand green components, such as solar panels and energy-efficient fixtures, to be used in prefabricated construction. The process of building a house in an assembly plant significantly reduces time on a construction site, thus minimizing impact to the surrounding environment. But builders also are using more composite and recycled materials as well as doing business with subcontractors with a track record of green-friendly practices.

Resources

• More on modular buildings