Built Modular by BOXX Modular: Recent Episodes
Vanguard Modular Building Systems
Welcome to Built Modular, a Vanguard Modular podcast. We'll help you discover just how flexible modular construction has become, and how it is helping make life better for real people facing real space challenges.
Mark Meyers, General Manager of Marketing Services at Vanguard Modular, joined host Daniel Litwin for a deep dive into the world of modular construction with a focus on designing, developing and delivering the individual modules that make up a complete building solution.
From the decisions that impact the quality and feasibility of a modular building to the strategies that work best for specific industries, Meyers and Litwin left no stone unturned.
For starters, what are the main differences between a modular building process and traditional construction?
“I would say the primary difference of modular versus conventional construction is that the buildings are constructed in sections in manufacturing facilities that may not be anywhere near the end construction site,” Meyers said. “Once these modules are constructed, then they’re delivered to the site, they’re put together, and they form a very similar building to a conventional structure.”
As for similarities, Meyers said both processes share a commonality with the types of materials used in construction. “The building materials, whether it be wood or steel or concrete, even the finishes, the windows, the doors, plumbing, fixtures; they’re all very much similar, if not the same, in both.”
And, while a customer may turn to modular construction for time and cost considerations, Meyers said that doesn’t reduce quality. “Our base spec is not going to provide you with something that’s going to fall apart in a year. That’s not the way that we operate. We make sure that our base spec supplies the quality that any customer requires. But there are always upgrades that can be put into any building.”
The idea of using modular materials for quick construction dates back centuries. On this episode of Built Modular, host Daniel Litwin welcomes Carl Bennett, General Manager of Contract Services for Vanguard Modular for an in-depth discussion of the history of modular construction and how it’s evolved in the modern era.
Manufacturers around the world are searching for ways to lower costs, add efficiency and produce more consistent parts the first time – and digital twins might be the ideal solution.
The creation of a digital twin to a real-world part allows for effective digital twin modeling that empowers manufacturers to, in a virtual space, see how each process in the manufacturing chain will impact parts or how a part will perform in the physical world before a significant investment is made in producing that part at scale.
Modular buildings have many applications. They can be an excellent temporary solution, including for school districts.
Mark Meyers, General Manager of Marketing Services for Vanguard, shared insights from his many years of modular experience on how schools can use portable classrooms.
A potential Vanguard Modular customer may know they need a modular building but not what the process will entail.
When Vanguard constructs a modular building, it runs through these steps in the construction process: design and engineering, permitting, manufacturing, delivery, set, seam and utility connections, power up and turn on water, installation of decks, steps, ramps and other elements, the final punch list, and final occupancy.
Vanguard has a history of success not only in modular buildings, said Jody Werner, the company’s Senior Vice President of Sales, but also in guiding clients through those processes.
“You can have experience based on years, but you also have to experience based on knowing what the right things are to do through the process, the right steps to take, and communicating things to the customer to make sure there are no surprises,” Werner said. “The other thing is they want to know they’re entering into an agreement with a company that has the financial wherewithal to see the project through. That’s very important in today’s day and age.
Cooperative purchasing provides seamless purchasing and consistency for the relationship between Vanguard Modular Building Systems and its customers. Chris Brown, an Area Sales Manager at Vanguard, popped by Build Modular to discuss this solution for financing modular projects.
“Cooperative purchasing is a procurement system,” Brown said. “It’s where a lead agency advertises for bids, awards a master contract to the vendor and for the prices to be extended to the registered members of the cooperative, and then notifies the members of the contract awarded. The registered members then contract directly with the vendor for their own needs subject to the specifications of the master contract.”
So, if cooperative purchasing provides cost savings and reduces the hassle of the “go-it-alone” bid process, how does one become a member of such a cooperative?
“Joining a cooperative is very easy for membership,” Brown said. “Most of the cooperatives, all you have to do is fill out a one-page application. There are no fees and no downside. It’s a simple as sign up and begin ordering.”
Any public entity can become a member of counting organizations, such as municipalities, public and charter schools, colleges and universities, nonprofits, and governmental agencies.
Many cooperatives are available, but one commonality they share is eliminating the need for businesses to go through the lengthy bidding process, which is the ultimate win.
A lack of information about today’s modular buildings can lead to a lot of confusion, misconceptions and missed opportunities regarding a sustainable, cost-effective solution. Vanguard Modular’s Senior Vice President of Marketing Services, Mark Meyers, joined the Built Modular podcast to dispel myths and provide answers that people should know when it comes to modular construction.
While many people might think the typical way of obtaining temporary modular construction is to lease a building, Meyers noted many custom and permanent modular building projects are purchased. An even lesser-known, but viable option for people is "lease to own."
“This option is a fantastic way to reduce the amount of initial capital that needs to be put out for a project and still end up owning the building,” Meyers said.
What about costs for the various options for a typical new modular building project? The base leasing price ranges from $1-$1.50 per square foot per month. This pricing does not include delivery, on-site assembly or project completion tear-down costs.
“Customized modular projects tend to be purchases,” Meyers said.
Those ranges can vary depending on the myriad factors of the design needs. Meyers provided a ballpark purchase price range between $100-$300 per square foot, not including delivery and installation.
Meyers said modular construction shares many similarities with traditional building processes. However, unlike conventional construction projects, modular buildings are built in sections off-site and delivered to the site destination and then assembled. And one of the things Vanguard Modular does is keep track of each state’s building codes and regulations.
“All of those calculations are carefully put together and engineered in the design of the building to ensure that the structure does meet those codes before those buildings are moved out from the manufacturing facility and installed on the site," Meyers said.
An August 2019 report from the commercial construction index showed the modular construction industry doubling its growth over the past five years.
Now an $8-billion industry, modular construction is experiencing even more growth with the onset of the pandemic, with the need for health centers to build quick and efficient solutions for emergency treatment facilities and other solutions growing.
What considerations drive the costs associated with these projects, and how do businesses strategize around these costs? Paul Lubertine, Director of Construction & Contract Services for Vanguard Modular Building Systems, provided his insights.
Many of the project inquiries Lubertine said Vanguard’s recently received have been COVID-19-related, including educational systems trying to plan out various overflow and social-distancing scenarios.
“We are getting orders, putting in units, and doing projects now for schools, but it’s early in the process,” Lubertine said.
While education, commercial and industrial office space, and healthcare are industries doing a lot of business with modular construction these days, the cost factors vary.
“Building use, equipment and utilities required to run the equipment within those buildings determine the cost differences of a project,” Lubertine said.
“The cost drivers that affect a project primarily are building size, its application—whether it’s a typical office, or a classroom, or a laboratory, or a medical facility. Building specifications will impact the cost. But these costs can be controlled through offsite design and manufacturing.”
Looking at all of the cost variables, Lubertine pinpointed a building site’s location and condition as the one that loomed the largest over a project.
“Each site is different and has its own set of challenges,” Lubertine said.
Topography, building placement (is it freestanding or connected to another building), and access to utilities all possess varying cost implications.
The saying, "one size does not fit all" certainly applies to today’s school classroom needs, where many factors go into consideration in designing the building. Flexibility, affordability, and ease of construction make modular buildings a perfect fit for schools looking to expand capabilities or just trying to get the ideal classroom size that meets their budget requirements.
Jody Werner, Sr. VP of Sales for Vanguard Modular Building Systems, LLC, provided insights into the factors that determine school classroom building sizes.
“One of the trends we see now, due to space, is people starting to go vertical with the classrooms,” Werner said. “They’re adding a story.”
But what determines the classroom size? Werner said it depends on many different factors. The type of school (private, charter, public, higher-ed) plays a role in class size needs, as do varying state regulations and requirements.
“At a Montessori school, for example, you have to have 40 square feet of space per child versus 20 square feet per child for a public school,” Werner said.
How much available space does a school has to use on the property is another factor in building decisions.
If a school requires a small classroom, Werner said it could be built and installed much faster than a larger class. But if larger is needed to get the job done, Vanguard’s modular solutions still provide a quiet and controlled environment.
While schools can opt for a standard modular classroom build, customization is available.
“Normally, a building comes with an eight-foot ceiling. A lot of times, you’ll have a customer that wants a nine-foot ceiling,” Werner said. “Some rooms require lab space, and you need fume hoods and exhaust systems in there. But, really, it’s about the material used in the building.”
The Vanguard sales team works with customers to guide them through the process of getting the exact classroom to meet their needs.
Peter Eberle, President & CEO, Vanguard Modular Building Systems, kicked off the first Built Modular episode with his take on the flexible and affordable solutions modular construction brings to temporary and permanent building projects.
The nature of prefabricated, modular construction allows for factory assembly without dealing with nature’s elements. This process allows development to happen quicker and less expensively, an attractive option for many building projects’ needs.
Among many efficiencies Eberle said modular construction could bring to a project, from less material waste to quicker construction time in a controlled environment, is safety.
“When you’re building in the factory, it's single-story, so you’re not putting a tremendous number of workers three, four or five stories in the air or higher,” he said. "Everything is plug-and-play, and the quick assembly allows for fewer workers on site.”
There is also a strong green component to modular construction, because the buildings have the flexibility to move into different locations.
“If you take a building and move that building from point A to point B, I don’t think you can get much greener or efficient,” Eberle said.
Everything created in the factory utilizes materials purchased in bulk for use on multiple projects, further reducing waste.
While modular construction is often permanent, temporary modular construction is on the rise, and Eberle offered some examples of situations where the flexibility of this type of build makes sense. School districts may need temporary buildings to handle the additional student population, and these modular buildings are movable, so a school system could relocate it for use in another area if the need should arise.
Some businesses may need to utilize a "swing space" for a temporary situation while they finalize a new building.
“We build these temporary modular buildings to adhere to several state codes to be repurposed and relocated with ease,” Eberle said.