Middle East Cities Emerge as Global Leaders in Sustainability

masdar city abu dhabiWhile it’s the U.S. Green Building Council that sets the standard for LEED certification, two cities in the Middle East are quickly emerging as the world leaders in sustainable cities, or cities with a goal of net zero energy and waste. That means they produce as much energy, resources and waste as they consume.

Population and economic growth due to the Middle East’s oil reserves are the primary drivers in its aggressive push toward sustainability. With population expected to grow exponentially in the next 25 years, sustainable cities can offset the gradual depletion of the natural resources and with them, the region’s primary export and profit center. Here’s a look at innovative projects currently evolving in the region.

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Modular Man Caves: Atlanta Motorsports Park Garages Hit Full Throttle

For auto enthusiasts, the race track is the ultimate playground. As this story on CNN.com shows, Atlanta Motorsports Park has pushed that experience to the red line. Cut to 2:00 in the video to see the modular race garages our Sports and Entertainment Team built. They’re a great example of what modular can do.

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Healthcare Looks to Modular Construction for Faster, Specialized Building

Millions of previously uninsured Americans now receive healthcare benefits, creating an urgent need for new medical facilities. As healthcare administrators search for space solutions to improve patient care and profitability, here are some healthcare facilities that have already capitalized on the benefits of modular to see more patients sooner.

Bridgeport Hospital

Bridgeport Hospital Modular Would Care CenterHospital administrators and staff wanted to add a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy facility as an extension of the existing facility. And the hyperbaric chamber needed to accommodate 12 people, rather than the traditional one person.

This highly specialized modular facility started welcoming new patients in Continue reading

5 Reasons Why Schools Should Consider Modular Construction

Rising enrollments, decreasing budgets and natural disasters have America’s schools facing difficult times. When it comes to adding new teaching space quickly and affordably, modular construction offers temporary and permanent solutions that get students back to class sooner, even on tight budgets.

Here are five reasons to look closely at modular learning space. Click the link in each one to see how schools can benefit from temporary and permanent modular construction.

1. Faster Permanent Buildings

5 Reasons Why Schools Should Consider Permanent Modular ConstructionThe Jesse Kaplan School in West Nyack, NY needed four ADA-approved classrooms with restrooms for special needs children. The classrooms had to blend seamlessly with the existing facility. Innovative floorless modular construction Continue reading

Rethinking the Definition of Green Building

Modular Green BuildingRising energy costs and global climate change are compelling arguments for sustainable construction. Yet some builders, developers and owners don’t see the value in green construction, particularly as it relates to their bottom line.

Good, Not Green

At the 2013 Greenprints sustainability conference, LEED founder Rob Watson suggested “eliminating ‘green’ as a modifier,” noting that “there are good buildings, and there are bad buildings…Good buildings save energy, water, time and effort — but perhaps most importantly to their occupants, they save money.”

That’s not to say that companies aren’t building green. LEED has helped spur energy-efficient construction Continue reading

Modular Construction Reaches New Heights, Goes Global

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Atlantic Yards Project, Brooklyn, NY

Though the domestic modular construction industry has been growing over the past several decades, it is only recently that US designers and builders have started taking sky-scraping cues from overseas projects. New York City’s Atlantic Yards development is a prime example, as it is targeted to be the tallest modular structure in the world, surpassing England’s University of Wolverhampton’s 25-story dormitory, completed in 2009.

These two projects notwithstanding, modular construction that reaches for the sky isn’t relegated to the US and UK. The Asian market went tall the in Hunan Province with high-rise modular projects courtesy of developer Zhang Yue, whose company erected a 30-story modular building over 15 days in 2011, a feat that was captured in a powerful time-lapse video.

Even now the Broad Group in China has signed a deal to erect a 100-story prefab building in the city of Continue reading

3 Big Benefits of Repeatable Design

Repeatable design for modular franchise buildingsRepeatable design: The process of using a single set of architectural designs to create multiple and identical buildings.

When it comes to choosing the right building method for you, here are three good reasons to give repeatable design a look.

1. Cost Savings

With repeatable design, you get to design once and use it as many times as you like. The design is a one-time investment. You pay once, and use that design time and time again. You may even find a builder Continue reading