Mainstream Modular by Guerdon

In this episode of Mainstream Modular, host Gabrielle interviews modular consultant Scott Murphy. Scott explains that as a modular consultant, he works with banks, developers, builders, and other parties to ensure that units being built in factories meet the standards and requirements of the project. His role involves monitoring the units throughout the construction process, reviewing architectural drawings, overseeing changes and modifications, and ultimately signing off on the units for shipment or payment. Scott shares that his experience in the industry over the past 10 years has allowed him to develop expertise in catching potential issues early on and eliminating site rework.

Amid the homeless housing crisis in Los Angeles, a glimmer of hope appears in the form of modular housing projects designed to provide much-needed shelters for the homeless community. LA is home to over 40,000 homeless individuals, a number that’s seen a sharp increase of 16% over the past year. Yet, innovative design principles and strategies are making a tangible impact on this pressing issue, offering a timely and increasingly successful solution to homelessness.

In this episode of Mainstream Modular [https://marketscale.com/shows/mainstream-modular-by-guerdon/], host Gabrielle Bejarano [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-b-945b9b231/] interviews Nickolos Gomez [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-gomez-8367a2111/], Principal Director of Modular Design and Construction at The AO [https://www.aoarchitects.com/], as they delve into the world of designing for the factory in modular construction. Gomez shares his expertise and industry insights, highlighting the main differences between conventional site construction and modular off-site construction. He emphasizes the importance of efficiency, collaboration with factories, and early involvement of the factory in the design process. Tune in to discover key tips for optimizing modular design and ensuring seamless integration between factory production and on-site installation. Key Points: * Designing for conventional site construction involves maximizing the site envelope and working with flexible geometries. * Optimizing Design: Modular construction presents challenges when dealing with angled corners or irregular site geometries, requiring creative solutions to maintain efficiency without compromising design intent. * Collaboration with Factories: Early involvement of the factory in the design process is crucial for success.

Modular construction has been a very popular form of construction [https://www.gkvarchitects.com/news/a-brief-history-on-modular-architecture] for hundreds of years now. Of course, in modern times, modular [https://marketscale.com/industries/engineering-and-construction/what-is-pushing-modular-buildings-practices-through-the-roof/] construction is very advanced even with several cons [https://propertyclub.nyc/article/pros-and-cons-of-modular-homes]. But a simple fact remains for real estate and construction companies opting for modular: choosing the right modular manufacturers. In deciding on a modular manufacturer, these companies often must weigh certain components to ensure seamless projects. Why is choosing the right modular manufacturer so important? On the latest episode of Mainstream Modular [https://marketscale.com/shows/mainstream-modular-by-guerdon/], host Gabrielle Bejarano [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-b-945b9b231/] interviewed MacKenzie Thorn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mlanders/], Director of Multi-Family at Aspen Starwood [https://aspenstarwood.com/], on construction projects, modular manufacturers and the varying industry standards. In this episode, Bejarano and Thorn further explored… * Thorn’s current construction project: Struthers * Working with modular manufacturers and the potential challenges * The importance of having the right design team and tough lessons learned “There's been big lessons learned with that experience. We have had a design team that in different areas were told that they had modular experience, and the lesson learned was hearing that they've done it and maybe seeing a picture, but actually sitting down with them discussing who they worked with, what factory they worked with, how they built it, and then talking to other developers, is a lesson learned from me about really digging in on, ‘Do they have that experience building modular?’ So, that was a key — will be a non-negotiable going forward as finding that pairing,” said Thorn. She added that she seeks to partner with companies with readily available skills and tools. “And I think also having a modular manufacturer that has a strong design team in-house because the construction really has a lot of parameters around it, how the boxes are built, and only the factory can drive some of those parameters.” MacKenzie Thorn is the Director of Multi-Family at Aspen Starwood. She is also the President of Aspen Dev Co., LLC. Having grown up a Lego enthusiast, Thorn found herself very interested in construction and real estate very early on. She attended the University of Denver and continued her graduate studies at NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate and New York University, respectively, where she received her Masters’ degrees.

California and New York are key leaders in modular construction [https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/north-america-modular-construction-market#:~:text=For%20educational%20units%2C%20California%2C%20Georgia,for%2045%25%20of%20total%20production.] in both multi-family modular projects and educational modular products. And five states—California, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—are responsible for almost half of modular construction for educational units. What is driving the trends for modular construction in these states, and what changes have occurred in the industry over the years? On today’s episode of Mainstream Modular [https://podcasts.apple.com/ye/podcast/mainstream-modular-by-guerdon/id1591436618] by Guerdon [https://www.guerdonmodularbuildings.com/], host Gabrielle Bejarano [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-b-945b9b231/] speaks with Matt Mitchell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-mitchell-59715620/], President at ProSet Modular [https://www.prosetmodular.com/], to discuss his path in the modular construction industry, growth in the industry, and which markets have been experiencing the most growth in modular construction. Bejarano and Mitchell also discussed… * Current manufacturing projects and history behind ProSet’s current 20 partnerships * How Mitchell has discovered the greatest areas of modular construction growth and how ProSet has grown its Colorado presence * How the modular construction industry is expanding and the influence of price point Mitchell explained the geographical industry trends: “It seems like the cost of site build in different areas really drives where the modular industry works and where it doesn’t work. And what we’re finding now is it’s working in a much broader area.” He added, “In the greatest areas of the market growth in the modular, California was a leader in that because it was the most expensive place to build site-built in the country, so we saw lots of modular working in the California area into the states…but what we’re seeing now is it’s expanding into other areas.” Matt Mitchell is President at ProSet Modular and was previously a partner there. He has been in the construction industry for more than three decades and began his career as owner of High Mark Development.