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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

An Insider’s Guide to the 2025 World of Modular

The Modular Building Institute is bringing its global World of Modular (WOM) event back to Las Vegas, and with it comes some of the industry’s best opportunities for networking, business development, and education. Over the course of the conference’s four days, there will be numerous opportunities for attendees to connect, learn, and leverage event resources to get the most out of the conference.

Affordable Housing Now: The Industry’s Best Bring New Solutions to World of Modular

While the modular building industry has long known that it can be an effective solution to increase affordable housing, the word is slowly spreading to more mainstream audiences. Three presentations at this year’s World of Modular in Las Vegas hope to provide insight and direction for those seeking a real solution to the crisis.

Opportunities for Innovation in Modular Offsite Construction

Modular Offsite Construction has already shattered the myth that it only produces uninspired, box-like designs. Architectural innovations in module geometry, configurations, materials, and products make it possible to create visually stunning buildings without sacrificing functionality or efficiency.

Miles, Modules, and Memes: Building a Modular Network One Flight at a Time

At the end of the day, social media is just another tool for building connections, and like any other tool, needs to be used skillfully to work properly. Use social media thoughtfully, and it will open doors to real opportunities and relationships you didn’t even see coming.

Current Issue

World of Modular is the modular construction industry's BIGGEST event! With this year's event promising to be better than ever, this issue of Modular Advantage dives into what attendees can expect. Featuring dozens of speaker profiles, advice from MBI staff on how to best leverage the event, and products that are sure to be on display, this is a can't-miss preview of the 2025 World of Modular.

Featured Modular Building Case Studies

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.

Fire Station 67

Fire Station 67 is designed in direct response to the climate crisis, the increasing threat of wildfires, and the needs to the Rancho Mission Viejo community. Prefabricated off-site and assembled from 10 modules, the 4,667-square-foot fire station is a modular design with the ability to reconfigure the structure into something new in the future.

Maceo May

Maceo May is a six-story, all-electric modular construction, affordable housing development located on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. The climate-responsive design provides 104 homes for formerly homeless veterans and their families with a strong focus on decarbonization, resilience and wellness. The apartment building offers 1 on-site manager’s unit, and a mix of 24 studio, 47 one-bedroom and 34 two-bedroom units.

The Sphere Made Possible with Exterior Wall Panels

This one-of-a-kind structure required one-of-a-kind building materials and exterior cladding that could accommodate the atypical geometries, project timelines, and significant daily foot traffic. Offsite construction, in the form of Dryvit’s Outsulite prefabricated panels of continuous insulation (CI), was the key method for streamlining the façade installation and ensuring quality control for the difficult building connections.

Modular Construction for Financial Viability: The Norwalk Project Case Study

The Norwalk project serves as a prime example of how Offsite Modular Construction, in collaboration with Architects, Consultants/Engineers, General Contractors (GC), and Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection (MEP/FP) Subcontractors, can make projects financially feasible by closely working with the Owner/Developer under an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) approach.

STAAT MOD Patient Bed Expansion at M Health Fairview – St. John’s Hospital

Construction firm The Boldt Company, and interdisciplinary design firm, HGA were engaged by St. John’s Hospital to deliver a 16-bed ICU patient observation wing onto the existing facility, built to over 90 percent completion offsite in Appleton, Wisc., then seamlessly transported and installed on the St. John’s campus – the first of its kind in the state of Minnesota.

Offsite Modular Construction Builds and Installs 12 New Classrooms for Westlake Academy in 100 Days

OMC utilized modular construction techniques to manufacture two brand new permanent 6,400-square-foot modular buildings, each housing six classrooms. The process included innovative design features for safety, durability, environmental sustainability, integrated technology enhancements, and health-oriented construction.

Formula 1 Race, Las Vegas, Nevada

In partnership with InProduction, Phoenix Modular Elevator (PME) designed, manufactured, and installed seven modular elevators for the F1 Grand Prix race in Las Vegas, Nevada. To minimize space, the design utilized machine roomless (MRL) hydraulic elevators, eliminating the need for separate machine rooms for each elevator. Instead, using the MRL design, the machine room equipment is built into the hoistway, and accessed via a small door on the side.

Silverking Student Housing, Selkirk College

ROC Modular was proud to deliver a much-needed new permanent modular Student Housing Residence for Selkirk College, located at the Silverking Campus in Nelson BC. The project is a 3-storey, 12-module 38-student bed building with a mass-timber main common area for student amenities.

Parkhurst Elementary School Classroom Additions

The Parkhurst Elementary School in Winchester, MA, has recently undergone an expansion of 13,074 square feet. Due to renovations at the neighboring Lynch School, students were temporarily relocated to Parkhurst. Modular construction was chosen as the preferred method to accommodate the influx of students and prepare for the start of the 2023-2024 school year.

VBC Chooses MAESTRO SMART 9 HP

Volumetric Building Companies (VBC), a global leader in the construction sector with a focus on building the future through volumetric modular techniques, choose the Maestro Smart 9 Heat Pump as their ideal comfort solution to heat and cool their modular housing project in Philadelphia, PA, consisting of 60 modular housing units.

Online Exclusives

Recent Issues

January/February 2025
November/December 2024
September/October 2024
July/August 2024
May/June 2024

Past Articles

Electric heat pump water heaters offer energy savings of up to 70% compared to electric-resistance water heaters.

What the Inflation Reduction Act Means for Modular Builders

With space heating, air conditioning
and water heating accounting for significant percentages of a building’s energy consumption, modular builders who want to take advantage of the IRA
incentives should look closely at their HVAC and water heater technology and explore more energy-efficient options.

Issa Nesheiwat and Apex Modular Solutions participate in the “Tiny Home Experience” Event with Ulster Saving Bank.

Meet Issa Nesheiwat, Modular Maverick

Apex Modular Solutions was built on the premise that clients deserve to have all the pieces in one place for them to succeed in making their project come to life.

US Modular Capital

US Modular Capital: Revolutionizing Offsite Construction Financing

Traditional lenders have standards and practices which are not tailored to modular construction and accordingly, it has become increasingly evident that securing adequate funding is one of the key factors essential for the industry’s continued growth.

Lean Construction: A Tool to Drive Productivity

Once you know the current state and the wastes in your processes, you can start improving with the foundational tools of Lean Construction.

Modular and Off-Site Construction: Risk Questions, Scenarios, and Suggestions

Selecting a quality surety professional is of utmost importance. When researching a firm, consider their years of experience and amount of bonds written, current relationships with underwriters, and the memberships they hold to various professional
associations, as well as their overall knowledge of your unique industry. By partnering with a reputable consultant, you can ensure reliable performance that maximizes your bonding capacity.

Teaching young students about construction and construction safety

The Cost of a Dated Education System on our Workforce

When the subject of workforce development arises there are many opinions on how our dwindling labor pool has become what it is. There is likely some truth to everyone’s response, but the real question should be: How do we help fix this mess? The reality of our labor shortage is that it’s our problem and each of us can play a part in helping to fix it. Kids need early exposure to the offsite construction industry.

Anirban Basu, CEO of Sage Policy Group and Chief Economist of the Modular Building Institute

The Mountains, Hills, and Valleys of Material Prices

With the global economy poised for further weakness and recession highly likely in America at some point over the next 12 months, there could be
additional downward pressure on input prices during the year ahead even as more infrastructure projects break ground.

Roland Brown addresses the crowd at the 2023 World of Modular following his induction into MBI’s modular construction industry Hall of Fame.

Roland Brown Looks Back at His Story of Success in the Modular Construction Industry

Roland Brown never imagined his life would turn out this way. He retired from a nearly 50-year-long career, starting off as a draftsman in the mobile home industry to becoming the VP of Design and Development at Ramtech Building Systems, Inc., a design/build construction company in Mansfield, Texas with its own modular
manufacturing facility.

Welcoming the Industry’s Rising Stars to the World of Modular

As part of Tremco’s Rising Stars program, students from the East Career & Technical Academy attended World of Modular to learn from industry experts and meet representatives of companies from across the modular construction industry. Their instructor, Tremco’s David Hutchinson, led the morning-long program on the conference’s third day.

Share Your Story

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