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.

Modular Building | Feb 1, 2016

Hotel developers turn to modular construction to meet demand

A $90 million rebuilding project in Yellowstone National Park exemplifies this trend.

Invasive probes, including test cuts of existing EIFS cladding, can uncover hidd

Jan 14, 2016

How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems

This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.

Modular Building | Dec 13, 2015

Undaunted, Forest City pushes ahead on modular construction

The president of its FC Modular division says new projects are under consideration, even as competitors falter or fall by the wayside.

Greenbuild Report | Dec 1, 2015

Data centers turn to alternative power sources, new heat controls and UPS systems

Data centers account for 2% of the nation’s electricity consumption and about 30% of the power used annually by the economy’s information and communications technology sector, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

AECOM and Project Frog form partnership for building data centers

Modular Building | Nov 19, 2015

AECOM and Project Frog form partnership for building modular data centers

The Rapid Deployment Team will provide solutions for data centers both small (1 MW) and large (50+ MW).

Modular Building | Oct 22, 2015

My Micro NY will soon be New York's first micro-apartment building

The Manhattan modular building will be completed in December and will contain apartments with low rents, but small space.

4 Building Material Innovations from the Chicago Architecture Biennial

Architects | Oct 20, 2015

Four building material innovations from the Chicago Architecture Biennial

From lightweight wooden pallets to the largest lengths of CLT-slabs that can be shipped across North America

Modular Building | Sep 23, 2015

SOM and DOE unveil 3D-printed, off-the-grid building

The Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) building features a high-performance shell with a photovoltaic roof and built-in natural gas generator.