by Brianna Crandall — July 11, 2014—Higher education facilities managers trying to balance growing student population needs with a tight budget and time constraints may be interested in an announcement from ICON Construction, a general contractor specializing in the design and build of modular, permanent modular, and modular re-locatable buildings. The company has announced its expansion into the higher education market, offering budget-conscious universities nationwide significant cost benefits and expedited project lifecycles for student housing.
With modules measuring anywhere from 175 to 375 square feet, a single modularly constructed dormitory unit can accommodate a maximum occupancy of 1,500 to 20,000+ students on as many as 3 stories. The units also provide a host of unique features specifically benefitting the university lifestyle such as flexible floor plans, option to easily relocate from one campus to another, and ability to take on the appearance of other buildings matching the image of the campus.
Modularly constructed dormitory units are also built with quality as a top priority throughout the entire construction process, so longevity of the buildings is guaranteed. However, since the modular structures themselves can be as permanent or temporary as the university would like, they are often used as a cost-effective temporary solution.
Financed projects also catch a break, as permanent funding is usually acquired sooner and at a lower interest rate that interim financing, notes ICON Construction.
With modules measuring anywhere from 175 to 375 square feet, a single modularly constructed dormitory unit can accommodate a maximum occupancy of 1,500 to 20,000+ students on as many as 3 stories.
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In-house architect Kent Hughlett said, “This is a new territory for us in the very diverse realm of the multi-living-dwelling industry. We have previously designed multi-story hotels, apartments, and barracks, and we incorporate this past experience for our dormitory and student housing design projects. We see a unique need for this technology because of the influx of incoming students and large work force relocation due to the economic status of some states.”
With guaranteed compressed construction schedules, students can move in to the fully utilizable modular dormitory facilities in a matter of weeks. Not only does this add a designated revenue steam for facility owners, interim costs during build out are much lower than traditionally constructed buildings, notes the company.
Approximately 80% of the construction takes place in the plant, after which time the modular units are shipped to the site. Labor costs are constant during the manufacturing process as compared to the unpredictable availability and wild swings of labor rates on site. Since the modular units are built indoors in a climate-controlled environment, the weather factor is greatly reduced, thus increasing the project manager’s ability to stay on schedule and deliver within budget.
