The reality of an expedited schedule and lower costs has made offsite construction a valued building solution for decades. With curiosity about this process at an all-time high as developers turn to the method with growing enthusiasm, the Modular Building Institute and Pratt Institute School of Architecture will co-host a Modular Construction Summit on May 16, 2013, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to separate modular myths from truth.
Do modular buildings last as long as stick built? Are they environmentally sustainable? Can they be as attractive as their traditionally built counterparts? While the answer to all of these questions is yes, the summit will provide an opportunity for people to find out exactly why – and get answers on many more issues.
The event will feature two morning sessions with panels of high-profile architects and builders, as well as the Commissioner for the NYC Department of Design and Construction. In the afternoon, attendees can tour the factory of Capsys Corporation, the modular builder for the My Micro NY project – a 10-story Manhattan apartment building slated for occupancy in 2015.
Tom Hanrahan, Dean of Pratt Institute School of Architecture, will moderate the first morning session, “Permanent Modular Construction for Multi-family Applications.” Confirmed speakers include James Garrison, sustainable design pioneer and architect with Garrison Architects; Ian Peter Atkins, BIM Application Manager for architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; and Tom O’Hara, Director of Business Development at Capsys Corporation.
The second panel, moderated by Modular Building Institute Executive Director Tom Hardiman, will focus on “Modular Solutions for Disaster Relief and Emergency Housing.” The confirmed speakers are David Burney, Commissioner, NYC DCC; William Begley, Director, Modular Housing and Hotels, Sea Box Inc.; and Douglas Cutler, architect with Douglas Cutler Architects.
Open to the general public, the event will take place at Pratt Institute, Higgins Hall Auditorium at 61 St. James Place in Brooklyn, from 8:00 a.m. to noon, with the factory tour from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Registration is $25 before May 10, and $35 thereafter. To register, please visit the MBI website. The summit is sponsored by Capsys Corporation, DeLuxe Building Systems and NRB.
About MBI
The Modular Building Institute is the international nonprofit trade association that has served the modular construction industry for 30 years. Members are suppliers, manufacturers and contractors involved in all aspects of modular projects -- from complex multistory solutions to temporary accommodations. As the voice of commercial modular construction, MBI expands the use of offsite construction through innovative construction practices, outreach, education to the construction community and customers, and recognition of high-quality modular designs and facilities. For more information on modular construction, visit http://www.modular.org.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
International Living Building Institute established to advance 'living buildings'
The idea of a Living Building, a high-performance building that produces its own power and cleans and reuses all of its water, is gaining momentum around the world. In an effort to oversee the global development of Living Buildings, the International Living Building Institute (ILBI) has been established.
| Aug 11, 2010
ASHRAE research targets tying together BIM and energy efficiency
Ensuring that a common language of “energy efficiency” is spoken by both building information modeling software used by architects and energy analysis and simulation software used by engineers is the goal of new research funded by ASHRAE.
| Aug 11, 2010
Report: Building codes and regulations impede progress toward uber-green buildings
The enthusiasm for super green Living Buildings continues unabated, but a key stumbling block to the growth of this highest level of green building performance is an existing set of codes and regulations. A new report by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council entitled "Code, Regulatory and Systemic Barriers Affecting Living Building Projects" presents a case for fundamental reassessment of building codes.
| Aug 11, 2010
Portland Cement Association offers blast resistant design guide for reinforced concrete structures
Developed for designers and engineers, "Blast Resistant Design Guide for Reinforced Concrete Structures" provides a practical treatment of the design of cast-in-place reinforced concrete structures to resist the effects of blast loads. It explains the principles of blast-resistant design, and how to determine the kind and degree of resistance a structure needs as well as how to specify the required materials and details.
| Aug 11, 2010
Rice concrete can cut greenhouse emissions
Rajan Vempati of ChK Group, Inc. in Plano, Texas, and a team of researchers found a way to make nearly carbon-free rice husk ash for concrete, which can lead to a boom in green construction.
| Aug 11, 2010
NYLO Hotel in Dallas will run on renewable energy
When NYLO Dallas/Las Colinas opens in late July 2009, it will run on 100 percent renewable energy. The loft-style boutique hotel brand has signed an agreement with TXU Energy to become the supplier’s first hotel customer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to purchase 100 percent Renewable Energy Certificate-based electricity.
