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
| Aug 11, 2010
Turner, Structure Tone top BD+C's ranking of the 50 largest office contractors
A ranking of the Top 50 Office Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Section Eight Design wins 2009 Open Architecture Challenge for classroom design
Victor, Idaho-based Section Eight Design beat out seven other finalists to win the 2009 Open Architecture Challenge: Classroom, spearheaded by the Open Architecture Network. Section Eight partnered with Teton Valley Community School (TVCS) in Victor to design the classroom of the future. Currently based out of a remodeled house, students at Teton Valley Community School are now one step closer to getting a real classroom.
| Aug 11, 2010
PCL Construction, HITT Contracting among nation's largest commercial building contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 50 Commercial Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Clark Group, Hensel Phelps among nation's largest federal government contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 40 Federal Government Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, HDR top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest institutional building design firms
A ranking of the Top 100 Institutional Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Whiting-Turner, EMJ Corp. top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 40 largest retail contractors
A ranking of the Top 40 Retail Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
GSA celebrates 60th anniversary
The U.S. General Services Administration today is commemorating its 60th anniversary as it engages in one of its its most challenging assignments ever—helping to achieve the goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
| Aug 11, 2010
Draft NIST report on Cowboys practice facility collapse released for public comment
A fabric-covered, steel frame practice facility owned by the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys collapsed under wind loads significantly less than those required under applicable design standards, according to a report released today for public comment by the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
| Aug 11, 2010
Callison, MulvannyG2 among nation's largest retail design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 75 Retail Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Citizenship building in Texas targets LEED Silver
The Department of Homeland Security's new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services facility in Irving, Texas, was designed by 4240 Architecture and developed by JDL Castle Corporation. The focal point of the two-story, 56,000-sf building is the double-height, glass-walled Ceremony Room where new citizens take the oath.
