Luxury Hospitality, Academia, Athletics, and Modular
Designing one of the tallest modular hotels + quick tips for first-time developers
Leading design development for one of the tallest modular hotels in the U.S. has taught me a thing or two about the ins and outs of large-scale prefab projects. Many developers are concerned about venturing into this area. So today, I intend to shed new light on building high-rise the modular way. Even if you’re a first-time modular or high-rise developer, it’s possible to have a successful project without headaches!
Contents:
Among the Tallest Modular Hotels: A Case in Point
As you read this, our team is planning one of the tallest modular hotels in the U.S.
The banks of Brazos River in Waco, Texas is set to transform by luxury and fun-filled developments under Chisholm Landing project. This development would house a luxury boutique hotel—the Grant Hotel is going to be a special one, thanks to its special affiliation with hospitality academia, sports, and athletics!
Highlights:
- The 326-key boutique hotel will stack up into a high-rise by the Brazos riverbank in Waco, Texas.
- The 17-story steel modular hotel is named after the famed coach Grant Teaff of Baylor Bears football team of Baylor University.
- The exciting part is that the second floor of the hotel will be dedicated to Baylor University’s hospitality program to give students a live, immersive study environment. Here’s tenured Baylor professor and owner representative:
We are so excited that Base4 Architects are a part of our team. They have created a design for a world-class full-service hotel, but have also paid equal attention to the academic component of our mission statement.
– L. M. Dyson Jr., Ph.D., President, Grant Hotel Hospitality Institute
- Additionally, this property would serve as the official hotel for Baylor athletics.
- This hotel is part of a larger development called Chisholm Landing, which will feature the world’s tallest climbing tower (also being designed by Base4), a riverboat modular hotel, ropes course, and indoor climbing facility.
- In the past, we’ve shown you how steel modular units can mean great things for your building’s structural strength and build quality.
- You might also want to dive into the reasons why to consider a high-rise in the first place.
- While a visitor wouldn’t be able to tell apart a modular build from a stick-built, modular construction can be a far more efficient choice when it comes to design and development—and even throughout the building’s lifecycle. (Some common questions answered here!)
- Below I share a few tips, drawing from my experience with the Grant Hotel project.
If you want to develop a modular high-rise, these points might come in handy:
- Decide early: Modular is known for time savings but it only works with early planning! The decision to go modular should be made as early as possible—so that the building is designed accordingly, and modules are in production at the right time.
- All decisions that go into every component of the modular boxes need to be decided on and approved. A well-rounded design firm will make this process much easier for you.
- Plan well: Take your time and plan well. Modular success comes from experience, clear communication, and the ability to make decisions.
- Typically, your design firm and the modular manufacturer will take care of most things. Developers don’t have to have prior experience.
- Mix it up: While it might be possible to build your high-rise 100% modular, it might be impractical to do so.
- A good design would incorporate traditionally built common areas, which might be too large for modules to accommodate. Repetitive units such as rooms and office spaces (including corridors) are best built offsite.
- The simultaneous onsite construction and offsite manufacturing mean accelerated project schedules.
- Codes and approvals: These fall under your design team and manufacturer’s purview.
- Your design team will do a site review to understand regional requirements and conduct a thorough code study—including a comprehensive fire-safety plan. (Read more about fire-safety in a high-rise.) And your modular manufacturer would produce prefab units based on code guidelines.
- Inspections of modular units are usually done at the production facility, while site inspections would cover common areas and other remaining parts.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if building a modular high-rise could be in your cards. Use our complimentary consultation to get answers to your specific questions!
Thank you,
Blair Hildahl
BASE4 Principal
608.304.5228
BlairH@base-4.com
As the architect, engineer, and interior designer for this highly anticipated project, we’ll keep sharing the updates with our social media followers. Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn!