Stantec illustrates the benefits of prefab multi-trade racking.

Contractors expect to spend more time on prefabrication, according to FMI study

Get ready for a surge in prefabrication activity by contractors. FMI, the consulting and investment banking firm, recently polled contractors about how much time they were spending, in craft labor hours, on prefabrication for construction projects. More than 250 contractors participated in the survey, and the average response to that question was 18%. More revealing, however, was the participants’ anticipation that craft hours dedicated to prefab would essentially double, to 34%, within the next five years.

Building Tech

In a world first, load-bearing concrete walls built with a 3D printer

A Germany-based construction engineering company says it has constructed the world’s first load-bearing concrete walls built with a 3D printer. Züblin built a new warehouse from a single 3D print for Strabag Baumaschinentechnik International in Stuttgart, Germany using a Putzmeister 3D printer.

Adaptive Reuse

Modular adaptive reuse of parking structure grants future flexibility

The shift away from excessive parking requirements aligns with a broader movement, encouraging development of more sustainable and affordable housing.

Healthcare Facilities

A modular construction solution to the mental healthcare crisis

Maria Ionescu, Senior Medical Planner, Stantec, shares a tested solution for the overburdened emergency department: Modular hub-and-spoke design.

Modular Building

Modular building is the growing trend of assembling structures from prefabricated, interchangeable components. After being constructed in a controlled environment away from the building site—such as a factory—the components are then transported to the final location and assembled on-site.

This growing collection of news, trends, case studies, white papers, and innovative projects bring you the latest in modular design and construction.

Affordable Housing | Feb 15, 2023

2023 affordable housing roundup: 20+ multifamily projects

In our latest call for entries, Building Design+Construction collected over 20 multifamily projects with a focus on affordable housing. Here is a comprehensive list of all projects in alphabetical order.

Data Centers | Southland Industries | Feb 6, 2023

Modular electric rooms are the new normal

Southland Industries breaks down the prefabrication benefits of Modular Electric Rooms (MERs).

HUD Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap - HUD unveils report to help multifamily housing developers overcome barriers to offsite construction

Multifamily Housing | Feb 3, 2023

HUD unveils report to help multifamily housing developers overcome barriers to offsite construction

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in partnership with the National Institute of Building Sciences and MOD X, has released the Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap, a strategic report that presents the key knowledge gaps and research needs to overcome the barriers and challenges to offsite construction.

Healthcare worker in MOOD Space bubble rendering

Augmented Reality | Perkins Eastman | Jan 27, 2023

Enhancing our M.O.O.D. through augmented reality therapy rooms

Perkins Eastman’s M.O.O.D. Space aims to make mental healthcare more accessible—and mental health more achievable.

High-rise glass building with solar R100 glass

Products and Materials | Jan 18, 2023

6 innovative products for multifamily developments

Here are six innovative products for various multifamily developments, including a condominium-wide smart electrical system, heavy-duty aluminum doors, and prefabricated panels.

Construction workers building modular home

Modular Building | CannonDesign | Jan 9, 2023

How modular solutions can help address skyrocketing construction costs

Modular builder Joshua Mensinger details three ways modular solutions aid in lowering construction costs.

A rendering of the North view of Treehouse Hotel, in Sunnyvale, Calif. Images: Courtesy of FullStack Modular

Modular Building | Nov 22, 2022

FullStack Modular prepares to begin work on its first California project

It will supply 200 complete modules for Treehouse Hotel’s first U.S. property.

Top 110 Multifamily sector construction firms for 2022 Giants 400 1B. INSET X Phoenix Clayco

Giants 400 | Aug 29, 2022

Top 110 Multifamily Sector Contractors + CM Firms for 2022

Suffolk Construction, Clark Group, AECOM, and Whiting-Turner top the ranking of the nation's largest multifamily housing sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes all multifamily sector work, including apartments, condos, student housing, and senior living facilities.