Recently, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma decided they needed to build a new classroom facility to support the growing number of enrollment applications for their pre-kindergarten and kindergarten program. Having a tight budget, but a desire to have a truly permanent facility, Immanuel chose to work with Ramtech for a new 14 classroom modular building that cost them less than $50 per square foot and was completed in under 90 days. (more…)
Ramtech Building Systems recently completed a new modular school building complex for charter school operator KIPP Delta in Blytheville, Arkansas. A team that included Ramtech, Stuck and Associates Architects, and Rowan Construction took just 120 days to complete a new 24,500 square foot campus that included 16 elementary school classrooms, 8 middle school classrooms, a food service-cafeteria, and an administration building. The key to the rapid completion of the project was the use of Ramtech’s modular building system which saved KIPP both time and money when compared to traditional site construction. (more…)
“Sustainable”, “Green”, and “LEED certified” are terms often used in the construction industry to reference buildings that are designed and constructed in an environmentally responsible way. This means building in greater energy efficiencies, using fewer natural resources during construction, and creating a healthier workplace while reducing pollution and waste. The primary challenge in achieving sustainable construction lies in its cost. During tough economic times it can be difficult for an owner to invest in the resources necessary to meet LEED or voluntary IgCC requirements. However, a recent article in the Guardian references how America’s commercial, institutional, and governmental agencies could learn a great deal from the success Europe and China are having by using a familiar, cost effective means to achieve sustainability: permanent modular construction. (more…)
In 2008, 65% of Texas public school districts utilized either a competitive bid or competitive sealed proposal delivery system when contracting for new school construction. Four years later, with the rapid growth of permanent modular construction, other delivery systems are rapidly gaining popularity with public school districts. By utilizing permanent modular construction and the Design-Build or Construction Manager At-Risk (CMR) delivery systems, projects are being completed faster and for less money. (more…)
Tom Hardiman, MBI’s Executive Director recently opened a discussion on the specter of prevailing wages being applied to offsite fabrication. Needless to say, this posses a serious threat to the commercial modular building industry. If the states of California, Ohio, New York, and Washington are successful in forcing prevailing wages on the modular industry it would not only be very detrimental to the industry, but also to the industries that the modular industry serves. (more…)