The Fairfield Inn in Folsom, CA was Marriott’s first hotel built using offsite construction methods. Guerdon Modular Buildings, a member of the Modular Building Institute, harnessed hybrid techniques while building the 97 room, 52-module hotel.
All the suites on the first floor and the entire second and third floors are made up of modules while half the first floor, including the entry way, pool, and other amenities were site-built. This created a unique challenge as half the building was built on a crawl space and the other half of the building (the site-built portion) was built on a slab foundation. Each module is configured to contain two rooms and a portion of the corridor. Select modules on the second-floor jetty out over the first-floor modules adding some architectural design as well as allowing for greater guest space in the upper floors. Modular construction is a perfect fit for hotel construction given the slim room profiles, double loaded corridor and duplicating room pattern.
Only 275 days elapsed from groundbreaking to occupancy, allowing the developer to begin collecting revenues five months earlier than if the building had been constructed using traditional on-site techniques. The timing is especially significant when noting the downturn of the labor market; halfway through the project, the general contractor experienced a difficult time sourcing subs, but the project timeline was not significantly derailed because approximately 80 percent of the work had already been completed out of state, in a market that was mostly unaffected by the labor shortage.
A major innovation born from this project was installing the room furniture, fixtures, and equipment while at the factory. Requested by the client, the practice has now become standard for most hotels that we build. Furniture, fixtures and equipment includes beds, sofas, chairs, desks, end tables, lamps, art, and more. Even operating supplies like pillows, blankets, soap, coffee makers, and more were included in the rooms, tied down for shipping. The factory installation of these items had multiple benefits; saved site crews time, reduced trade damage, eliminated storage and theft issues, and helped the housekeeping staff get the hotel open sooner. In practice, it is possible for housekeeping staff to prep and ready the rooms for guests in as little as three hours.
COMPANY INFORMATION:
Modular Building Institute
944 Glenwood Station Lane, Suite 204
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901 USA
Phone: 434-296-3288
Email: communications@modular.org
Related Stories
| Mar 20, 2014
Common EIFS failures, and how to prevent them
Poor workmanship, impact damage, building movement, and incompatible or unsound substrate are among the major culprits of EIFS problems.
| Mar 19, 2014
Frames: the biggest value engineering tip
In every aspect of a metal building, you can tweak the cost by adjusting the finish, panel thickness, and panel profile. These changes might make a few percentage points difference in the cost. Change the framing and you have the opportunity to affect 10-20 percent savings to the metal building portion of the project.
| Mar 17, 2014
Rem Koolhaas explains China's plans for its 'ghost cities'
China's goal, according to Koolhaas, is to de-incentivize migration into already overcrowded cities.
| Mar 12, 2014
14 new ideas for doors and door hardware
From a high-tech classroom lockdown system to an impact-resistant wide-stile door line, BD+C editors present a collection of door and door hardware innovations.
Sponsored | | Mar 10, 2014
A high-performance barn
Bastoni Vineyards replaces a wooden barn with an efficient metal building used for maintenance, storage, and hosting events.
| Feb 14, 2014
Must see: Developer stacks shipping containers atop grain silos to create student housing tower
Mill Junction will house up to 370 students and is supported by 50-year-old grain silos.
| Feb 6, 2014
End of the open workplace?
If you’ve been following news about workplace design in the popular media, you might believe that the open workplace has run its course. While there’s no shortage of bad open-plan workplaces, there are two big flaws with the now common claim that openness is bad.
| Feb 5, 2014
Multifamily Housing, Green Building, Market Trends, Innovation to be Prime Topics at MBI’s World of Modular
More than 600 developers, contractors, architects, builders, dealers and equipment/service suppliers are expected at the event, slated for March 21-24 in San Antonio, Texas, and hosted by the Modular Building Institute.
| Feb 4, 2014
Must see: Student housing complex made with recycled shipping containers
Architect Christian Salvati's new structure is just the first step in bringing shipping container construction to New Haven, Conn.
| Jan 28, 2014
16 awe-inspiring interior designs from around the world [slideshow]
The International Interior Design Association released the winners of its 4th Annual Global Excellence Awards. Here's a recap of the winning projects.
