Reading Time: 4minutes Last week we spoke about elevators—if they were needed or not! Since projects often require elevators, today we are going to describe the different types. Elevators are designed and fitted according to the building’s population capacity and code requirements. In the past, most elevators had to be controlled through a centralized machine room. Today, most elevators
Reading Time: 3minutes Lately, I have discussed amenities for multifamily projects. Now it’s time to talk about elevators! Does your project need one? If so, how do you select one? I am here to help. Do I Need an Elevator? Elevators are the most common way to provide inclusive access to multistory buildings. They are often the only way residents with
Reading Time: 5minutes Builders are struggling right now to put up entry-level homes at a reasonable price. The high costs of land, labor, materials, and regulation make building low-cost homes less lucrative for developers, shifting the market towards rental properties and apartment communities. With the current migration to the suburbs, renters are looking for additional space and a
Reading Time: 4minutes As discussed in a previous week’s newsletter about trending amenities, many aspects of American life have been significantly impacted by the pandemic, changing the way we live and work. Due to the shifting economy, rise in remote work opportunities, and desire to relocate to less densely populated areas, people have decided to move. Where is everybody going? Around
Reading Time: 4minutes The world of multifamily amenities has significantly changed in the past year and renters are willing to pay more if it means living in a unit that has premium amenities and upgrades that make their day-to-day lives easier and more enjoyable. In a Schlage and Wakefield Research survey of 1,000 U.S. multifamily renters, 86% of millennials say they
Reading Time: 4minutes As an avid AEC futurist, I frequently address the need to move from archaic construction methods to embrace all forms of construction technology. Enter Robots—perhaps the coolest technology of them all! But can they help you? A Robot That Parks My Car? With an automated parking system, it is possible! An automated parking system is a
Reading Time: 3minutes Due to the challenges of the pandemic, the prices of construction materials are skyrocketing, and developers are trying to find safer and better ways to build. Back in a 2019 newsletter, I reported that construction costs had increased OVER 40% since 2013. While last year saw a less dramatic increase, the cost of construction continues to rise. COVID-19 has
Reading Time: 3minutes The demand for suburban multifamily dwellings, along with the rising costs of materials, have motivated developers to look for ways to build more units at a cheaper cost. It’s time to consider your building density! What is housing density? It’s the number of housing or dwelling units per acre of land. Different housing types require different densities,
Reading Time: 4minutes The high demand for multifamily buildings right now coincides with rising construction costs. What are some ways developers can mitigate the high cost of building? The answer might be in smartly sizing your units! Developers want to build a great building with lots of amenities and large units, but at a certain point, all that extra space results in
Reading Time: 4minutes Back in my August newsletter, I stated that wood prices were up 140%. Since then, the numbers have gone up and down, and then back up again! Lumber prices that were around $600/tbf five months ago are now over $900/tbf. Commodity prices are three times higher than before the pandemic. The pandemic is upsetting global supply chains in
Reading Time: 3minutes The pandemic shook up how we live and boosted migration from the cities to the suburbs. Therefore, the multifamily market is set to drastically improve in 2021. But how can you build apartments and mitigate rising construction costs? After several months of shelter-in-place orders, the desire to have more space and the potential for more people to work remotely
Reading Time: 3minutes Today we dive into one amazing technological advancement that can help rent out your apartments before they are built and keep everyone safe while doing it! Virtual Reality Increases Pre-Leasing Speed. Virtual Reality (VR) is a Game Changer! VR is not just for video games—this technology has huge potential for getting your apartments leased even before
Reading Time: 4minutes What does BASE4 Do? There are very few days that go by that I don’t get this question, so I guess this explanation is long overdue! Here’s the short answer: We are architects & engineers rethinking the way buildings get built. Our team works with developers and general contractors to rethink traditional building methods
Reading Time: 4minutes 2020 was a tough year for the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) sector with Office, Retail, and Hotel capital markets getting hit especially hard. However, there is some good news—today I want to tell you about the opportunities for 2021! Yardi Improves Their Forecast for 2021 Supply Source: Yardi Matrix Several weeks ago, CBRE and Yardi Matrix
Reading Time: 4minutes In the past few months, I have talked about modular and offsite construction. Still, when people think about “modular” construction, they imagine one of two things: man-camp temporary structures or multi-story stacked apartment and hotel projects. The truth is that an offsite delivery method can be effective for nearly any type of building product depending on
Reading Time: 5minutes It’s not just in the movies—robots are now a reality. Until recently, construction was one of the least digitized and automated industries in the world—but times may be changing. Robots, drones, autonomous vehicles, and 3D printing are some of the new technologies being lauded in the media. While exciting, many of these inventions are not
Reading Time: 4minutes The growing demand for mid-rise apartment buildings is creating both challenges and opportunities for developers. Land keeps getting more expensive which means maximizing densities is more important than ever! When multifamily developers evaluate a new potential apartment site, they must assess what type of building will be the most efficient based on density, parking, and unit count.
Reading Time: 4minutes Housing prices are skyrocketing right now, and developers have an opportunity to meet the need. But with high construction costs and fewer skilled workers, what’s your next move? In this article we discuss the potential in the multifamily market and how industrialized construction can get you building faster, cheaper, and better than ever before. Supply
Reading Time: 3minutes Industrialized Construction is the future. It is the only way to address the major problems in construction right now—the never-ending project cost increases, systematic labor crisis, consistent schedule overruns, and rampant inefficiency. Get My Masters in Prefab Regardless of what people say, construction is not an easy sector to “jump into.” To be successful and
Reading Time: 4minutes Your apartment has great STC wall ratings, so why are you still getting lots of noise complaints from tenants? The STC of a wall is only as good as its weakest link. Today in our 3-part series on Keeping Apartments Quiet, we’ll highlight a few of the most common causes of hidden noise pollution and what you can
Reading Time: 4minutes Don’t we all want to learn how to keep tenant noise complaints to a minimum? Today’s Part 2 of Keeping Apartments Quiet will show you how! Wall Composition to Reduce Noise Pollution Sound waves travel through walls, infiltrating the adjacent rooms. Wall composition is critical to absorb sound and dampen the volume heard on the
Reading Time: 4minutes Keeping The Noise Out When you live in an apartment, noise is everywhere. Noise reflects from hard surfaces, like walls, floors, and ceilings—adding to the overall noise level inside a room. With all the turmoil in our world, a safe and quiet apartment home is vital. Follow me in this 3-part series of How to
Reading Time: 3minutes 12 Children. Four Countries. Two Capitalists. One Story. Discounted for You only this Week on Other booksellers and more information can be found at our website. Get Money Do Good explores capitalism at its finest while confronting the issues of orphan advocacy, autism, human trafficking, and conventional methods of “doing good.” Spanning the past decade
Reading Time: 5minutes We’ve recently discussed cold-formed steel and how it can be utilized with Industrialized Construction. With lumber prices soaring, developers are looking for steel solutions. The term “Steel” is one of those broad terms that gets thrown around a lot. Today we are going to take a deep dive into what we mean when we say
Reading Time: 4minutes Cold-formed steel framing is outperforming wood framing in the construction industry right now. With a rising demand for improved standards in quality, security, and performance in construction—cold-formed steel framing can be considered one of the best construction methods. Lumber prices are too high—what can I do? Lumber prices increased rapidly in 2020 due to significant
Reading Time: 3minutes New apartment designs for a new era We’re living in a whole new world, and your next multifamily project must follow the new rules of living. People are living, working, and schooling in their homes with the need to keep spaces sanitized, separate, and convenient for living healthy and well. Multifamily designs for the new
Reading Time: 2minutes Thanks to technology today, developers are finding new ways to build using prefabricated, offsite, and modular solutions. Unfortunately, a lot of developers hesitate to go modular due to fears of room-size limitations or a “boxy” design, but volumetric modular design does way more than micro-apartments! Here’s the great news: Multi-bedroom units are still an option
Reading Time: 3minutes Offsite construction is considered the future of the construction industry. Still, you might be wondering if it fits your next project. One very popular offsite delivery method for urban apartment projects is modular over podium. This is a great option for many locations. Find out more below! Podium Design in Brief Podium buildings are comprised
Reading Time: 4minutes The pandemic is upsetting global supply chains in every industry—especially the construction industry. This alarming trend is most obvious when looking at the cost of lumber. Lumber prices are now 140% higher than they were in August of last year. It’s never been more expensive to build with wood. This drastic price shift
Reading Time: 4minutes Staying on the cutting-edge of the building market is hard, especially with the rapid onset of industrialized construction (IC). Of the five cornerstones of IC shown below, one very overlooked pillar is Vendors and Products—and keeping up to speed with all new ones on the market. That’s why we’ll be taking the opportunity over the next couple of months to
Reading Time: 3minutes The pandemic has shifted people’s thinking about the future, especially in building design. 2020 has shown us the importance of designing for healthier spaces. People want their homes, offices, and hotels to be sanitized and free from hidden germs that get recirculated in HVAC systems. Does this mean it is time to rethink your HVAC
Reading Time: 4minutes We have spent the last month digging into prefabrication, offsite, and modular solutions, including volumetric modular, bathroom pods, and panelization. Still, you might be thinking that you want to use offsite construction to solve some very specific problems. No problem! Sub-assemblies and components can be designed to fit your needs, manufactured offsite, and delivered to your next multi-family
Reading Time: 5minutes So, you want to dive into offsite, prefabricated, and modular, but your project doesn’t seem to fit. This article is dedicated to you—and how panelized construction can be the prefab solution to match your project’s unique spaces and size requirements. As you can tell from our previous columns on DfMA for multifamily, volumetric modular construction,
Reading Time: 4minutes Offsite construction is a timely solution for multifamily developers. Last week I showed you how Volumetric Modular Construction could work for your next multifamily project. As a continuation of this series, today we look at how a bathroom pod can solve multiple problems. Modular bathrooms are becoming increasingly popular with architects, developers, and builders for
Reading Time: 5minutes Volumetric Modular Construction for Your Next Multifamily Project Last week, I laid out the benefits of modular and prefabricated construction to increase quality and efficiency for your next MF–as well as the main types of offsite construction that might fit the specific needs of your next project. As a continuation of this series, today we
Reading Time: 5minutes The world is changing, and we need to keep up! As the AEC industry is finding its “new normal,” industrialized construction (IC) is the way to go. Multifamily developers who plan to build affordable housing will notice that traditional build is too slow and unreliable right now; IC can help, but it is important to
Reading Time: 4minutes Right now, the news is dominated by reports about the need for simple and affordable housing. In particular, the multi-family market continues to be the talk of the town. Try as it might, the construction industry is having a hard time building at a price point that makes sense for developers who want to meet
Reading Time: 4minutes Go Lean with Design & Labor Distribution Many of you may be running a lean business—and are doing great at it. It’s all about trimming the fat. But there are still a few places with savings potential where most don’t go lean: construction design, operations, and labor distribution. Because these factors largely depend on third
Reading Time: 9minutes When to Choose Wood Modular There are a lot of questions around modular construction. After covering some basic frequently asked questions in my last email, let’s explore further. After choosing to go modular, you must decide between wood and steel modular boxes. Typically, 4- to 5-story buildings utilize wood boxes but you can go higher
Reading Time: 4minutes Have you ever faced construction delays? Over 90% of major projects run overtime and over-budget.1 It’s true; we are all too familiar with projects running behind schedule. The dreaded delays directly affect revenue and increase overheads. And you likely know the usual culprits–labor problems, weather delays, sociopolitical factors, and coordination errors. But there’s no point
Reading Time: 4minutes Hear it from a Lender AVANA Capital shares what they want developers to know Lending issues cause developers great concern—especially for projects in the early stages. What do investors and lenders think? It’s important to know that projects are still being funded with the lenders getting more selective. Still open for business, AVANA Capital is
Reading Time: 7minutes Volumetric modular construction is probably the most popular one of the modern methods of construction (MMC). But when discussing modular construction, I often get more questions than answers. I get it, even some of the seasonal developers could use some guidance sometime. So first of all, is modular construction worth investigating–or is it just a
Reading Time: 6minutes Bonus: Tim Flacke of Midas Construction shares how they’re moving ahead with projects Resilience is in the DNA of developers. Simply giving up when the going gets tough isn’t how they roll. But it’s natural to feel stuck. After all, choosing what to do with your ongoing projects isn’t an easy job. Things become especially
Reading Time: 3minutes LET’S FIX COST OVERRUNS. Cost is arguably the strongest determiner of the construction process. When projects start going over budget–many compromises have to be made, often leading to unwanted schedule delays. Relative to original budget, average cost overruns of construction projects were at 70%–found McKinsey & Company.1 That’s incredible! What’s the Problem? Poor communication among designers,
Reading Time: 4minutes Breaking Down Permitting For Modular Projects The building permitting process is already excruciating, and it can be even more overwhelming when trying out new building methods. Currently, modular construction is becoming increasingly important in the AEC field. So today, I address a common question: What’s the permitting process like for modular builds? For most modular
Reading Time: 5minutes Space for Change Everyone is coming together to brainstorm productive things to do during this time. Here’s a window of opportunity for hoteliers. The hotel industry is hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with RevPAR and occupancy levels at an all-time low. But there’s a silver lining for those wanting to make the best out
Reading Time: 5minutes Yes, it’s not too far-fetched an idea, and I’ll tell you why. The Problems are not New We can all agree that a typical construction site of our times looks eerily similar to one from 50+ years back. Traditional construction practices–while sustained through the years–are not very efficient, to no fault of a single party.
Reading Time: 6minutes How can Emergency Medical Utilize Prefabricated and Modular Construction? Highlights: Calls for Action Contact us immediately if you want us to find a hotel for you to convert, or if you have a hotel to convert. Instant emergency medical triage units available now. Contact us if you are considering modular hospital rooms. We’re open to forming innovative partnerships
Reading Time: 4minutes The Manufacturing of Construction Offering lucrative benefits and proven productivity, every developer can benefit from prefabrication If you have ever used mass timber, wall or roof panels, or other pre-assembled items in your project, then you are an adopter of industrialized construction—better known as offsite, prefabricated, or manufactured construction. There seems to be some gray area
Reading Time: 4minutes Over the past two decades, the construction sector’s annual productivity growth has merely increased 1% on average compared to 3.6% for the manufacturing industry.1 An efficiency boost has become crucial for this trillion-dollar industry in this day and age. Good news is, modular construction is quickly emerging as a winning method to build. So, every developer should understand and make the
Reading Time: 5minutes Prefabricated, Turnkey Elevators In five minutes, find out whether your next construction project can use a modular elevator Modular components can slash timelines for traditional builds. After looking into prefabricated bathroom pods last week, our modular expert Nate Loeffelholz concludes the series with another modular solution—modular elevators. Whether it’s the faster turnaround time for your
Reading Time: 6minutes Ready-to-use Bathrooms Find out if prefabricated bathroom pods can be a good fit for your traditionally built project. Modular units can be a great time- and budget-saving tool for owners and developers. In our previous modular series, we focused on factory manufactured guestroom boxes, also known as volumetric modular units. In this article—which kicks off
Reading Time: 5minutes For the past month, we have dedicated our writings to inform you about the modular industry and how it could work for you. In this final newsletter, we provide an overview of these instructional guides, so you can save this email for easy-access reference when questions arise in the future. Below are overviews of the
Reading Time: 11minutes Using Steel Modules for Your Mid- to High-Rise Structures If you’re planning a mid- or high-rise construction, this piece is for you. Modular construction, as you know, is picking up everywhere. But what’s the catch? Is it safe for a high-rise? Should you consider prefab over stick-built? You may have had these questions for a
Reading Time: 9minutes Building Modular for Low- to Mid-Rise Structures: Next Steps Let’s assume you’ve decided to go modular with your next project. Now what? This third article in our series on modular explains your next steps. After choosing to go modular, you must decide whether to use wood or steel modular boxes. Typically, hotels of 4-5 stories
Reading Time: 7minutes Timing, Coordination, Quality, Budget: How Can Modular Work for You? Off-Site Construction is Trending Hoteliers have a lot on their plate right now! Here are just some of the current challenges in today’s AEC industry: Coordination problems among the various teams, like AEC professionals, vendors, contractors, subcontractors, permitting officials Speed-to-market concerns during this current skilled
Reading Time: 5minutes What is modular construction all about? We are frequently asked this question. The simple answer is: it’s a revolutionary construction method using prefabricated units for building faster and smarter. Also known as manufactured or off-site construction, modular units are produced in a controlled factory setting and shipped to construction sites—raising the construction industry to a