How Efficiency Meets Experience in Modular Architecture

Time is an important resource. So are a lot of factors that play equal stakes for quality of life, like mental and physical health, sustainability, sociability, beauty in the built environment. Environmental issues like air quality, waste reduction, climate resiliency are becoming pressing issues, getting critical by the day which cannot be ignored. Maintaining quality and homogeneity of a product in projects having repetitive components, like multifamily, education institutes and hospitality projects, plays crucial role in brand reputation of a developer or facility provider. How can all these aspects come together leading to a comprehensive solution?

Modular architecture, with its components and flexible configurations, is emerging as a potent tool to address these contemporary challenges. This approach can be used in design as well as construction. However, today the approach of modular architecture is a far cry from the postmodern social housings, devoid of character or interplay of spaces in the built forms. With a creative approach towards building massing, spatial relationships, interlocking of components and fa?ade features, a large template of outcomes that are dynamic and aesthetic are possible with third spaces fostering human interactions and activities. By doing early studies passive measures for building orientation according to sun exposure, wind speed and noise, creation of a variety of spaces is possible that are comfortable for the intended use with informed decisions.

Modular components can be taken into advantage not only during construction stage, but also in design stage. By harvesting typical components of unit designs and by the use of cutting-edge software, design options can be created to study various scenarios of product mixes and area outcomes, integrating with climate and solar studies all in one platform. This makes early design decision making efficient, informed and data driven. It offers a huge potential in planning and design of university and school campuses, hotels, multifamily where repetitive components form the critical building blocks to conclude into an overall product.

Modules and prefabrication can save a lot of construction time at site. Creating the components away from the site in controlled environments has drastic effects not only in assuring quality and performance of the product but also address important environmental issues like construction waste reduction and air quality. When site conditions and construction time gets hampered with heavy rains, air quality, resource availability and various other factors, reduction of construction time at site through modular construction can mitigate these factors and provide efficient solutions. Unitized facade systems are widely used in present construction practice. Not just glazing, but a variety of materials, finishes, textures and colours can be incorporated in the unitized panels which make up the fa?ade of the building. This not only facilitates faster installation on the building envelope but also assures quality and building performance, while giving a lot of flexibility to design aesthetics.

While keeping efficiency and quality in mind, the benefits can extend beyond mere practicality and tangible aspects. Through sensitive and thoughtful design approach, by strategically placing the modules, vibrant and engaging spaces can be carved out in the building massing. This enhances user experience by creating inviting outdoor terraces, rooftop gardens, internal courtyards and outdoor activity spaces fostering a strong sense of community and well-being. With enhanced sociability, active living, mental and physical well-being, the projects can deliver a lot more value to the users and customers. Social isolation is becoming an ever-increasing urban epidemic and the importance of creation of third spaces in our projects to address this rising issue cannot be ignored for very long.

With ever changing economic, environmental and social changes, embracing innovation and new technology can not only improve construction quality and time efficiency, but also offers a promising path for the built environment towards sustainable, resilient and life-centric outcomes.