Members of the Studio G office recently attended a talk hosted by New England Women in Real Estate (NEWiRE) in Boston, MA. Susi Yu, SVP of Forest City, spoke about the future of modular construction and its ability to revolutionize the design industry. Leading the charge is Forest City Ratner’s $4.9B Atlantic Yards building in Brooklyn, slated to be the world’s tallest modular tower. The 32-story mixed-use high-rise will contain 6,400 apartments, 247,000sf of retail, and 336,000sf of office space, and is aiming for LEED Silver.

As we recently demonstrated with the Sturgis Charter School and Ms.Yu asserted, modular construction can be sustainable, faster, less costly, safer and more precise than traditional building methods.

With modular construction, building components can be manufactured and transported to the site for assembly and finishing, saving the client 10% to 20% on construction costs and up to 10 months on schedule. In addition, materials kept out of inclement weather are less likely to warp, part and material defects can be caught in the factory (minimizing on-site repairs), and less scaffolding work is required (keeping workers safer). Minimal construction crews and vehicles on site also mean less noise, traffic disruptions and overall hassle for neighboring communities and individuals.

The potential for modular construction is seemingly endless, and Ms. Yu anticipates using the factory-built approach for many future programs, ranging from housing to office towers and other commercial projects. Ground breaking ceremonies for the Atlantic Yards project are planned for Dec. 18, with full-blown modular construction commencing in April. We look forward to following the progress of this exciting venture!