On Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Greystar Real Estate Partners is launching "Ltd. Findlay," a six-building modular apartment complex in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, 16 miles west of Pittsburgh. The complex includes 312 apartments, a gym, an amphitheater, and bocce courts, making it one of the largest multifamily modular projects in the U.S. The project was developed at Greystar's modular factory in Knox, Pennsylvania, which will also support six additional modular projects in the pipeline.

Modular Construction Approach

• Methodology: Modular construction involves assembling components in a factory and transporting them to the final site, where they are stacked like "jumbo Lego blocks."
• Advantages: This method reduces construction time, requires fewer workers, and benefits from bulk material discounts, potentially lowering overall costs.

Challenges

• Permitting and Certification: Companies like Greystar must secure permits for individual projects and undergo rigorous certification processes for manufacturing centers, such as their manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania.
• Regulatory Complexities: Modular construction faces significant challenges due to inconsistent building codes and inspection standards across jurisdictions.
• Logistics: High costs of transporting modular pieces. This could be addressed by having consistent universal connectivity standards that allowed building with multiple methodologies than manufacturing in one specific location with proprietary practices.

Efforts to Streamline Processes

• The Modular Building Institute (MBI) and organizations such as the New York Institute of Technology’s Center for Offsite Construction are working to address these regulatory hurdles by advocating for universal modular-specific standards. However, only Virginia, Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Rhode Island have adopted these proposed guidelines so far.

Opportunities and Growth

• Despite these growing pains, modular construction is a vital solution to the U.S. housing crisis. Experts assert that modular construction is no longer a choice but a necessity.

Conclusion

While regulatory barriers remain, initiatives led by organizations like New York Institute of Technology’s Center for Offsite Construction and MBI, coupled with the urgent need for housing solutions, are propelling the modular construction industry toward broader adoption.