Heart-Shaped Box: Modular construction is delivering faster, cheaper sustainable buildings
Feb 19, 2024
auto_awesome
Discover the benefits of modular construction in affordability, sustainability, and speed. Learn about the challenges and advantages of adopting modular construction in the US. Explore innovative solutions for scaling modular construction and technical details like elevator installation. Understand how modular construction can address affordable housing challenges and reshape traditional perceptions in the construction industry.
Modular construction combines affordability, sustainability, and speed, making it a compelling option for building projects.
Collaboration with regulatory bodies and overcoming technical barriers are crucial for successful adoption of modular construction in challenging markets like New York City.
Deep dives
Introduction to Modular Construction and AssemblyOSM
Andrew Staniforth, CEO of AssemblyOSM, discusses modular construction with a focus on high-rise urban buildings. Modular construction involves building volumetric modules in chunks that stack like Legos, allowing for efficient high-rise construction up to 30 stories.
Challenges in Modular Industry
Staniforth highlights historical challenges in the modular industry, attributing slow US adoption to limited design choices and flawed business models. He emphasizes the need to overcome these technical and business barriers to establish a resilient modular company that can drive market change.
Regulatory Innovation in Modular Construction
Assembly's approach involves early collaboration with regulatory bodies like the Department of Buildings (DOB) to pave the way for modular approval in challenging markets like New York City. By proactively engaging regulators and building goodwill, Assembly streamlines the regulatory process, ensuring smoother project execution.
Operational and Financial Advantages of Modular Construction
Modular construction offers cost and time efficiencies compared to traditional methods. With potential time savings of 50% and reduced operational costs due to sustainable design, modular projects like Assembly's align with sustainability goals and attract favorable financing terms, driving economic and environmental benefits.
Despite widespread adoption elsewhere in the world, modular construction has been slow to take hold in the U.S. Assembly OSM CEO Andrew Staniforth makes a compelling case for the construction technique’s affordability, sustainability and speed—as well as reasons why the practice is still in its infancy domestically.
Insights to Share:
Modular construction is an option that provides a compelling combination of affordability, sustainability and speed.
A tight labor market and strong real estate fundamentals make modular construction more viable.
Affordable housing is a challenge that will require non-traditional thinking—like modular construction—to solve.
“Naturally occurring affordable housing is just an Econ 101 problem like supply and demand. The more housing that you build, it will lower the price. And I think as we start getting to scale, we hope to be able to move the market.”
Andrew Staniforth
CEO
Assembly OSM
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode