Modular construction involves two tracks: (1) building large elements of the building in a manufacturing plant away from the project site to a wholly finished condition and (2) delivering the buildings to a prepared site, where typical construction activities such as clearing, site grading, utility preparations, and foundations are constructed.
The permitting of these two tracks and the role the architect plays, if understood well, can be leveraged by the project team to make modular projects highly successful. The following is a discussion of some nuances that I hope will make things clearer and result in more successful modular projects.
Buildings constructed in a manufacturing plant to a highly-finished condition naturally have “concealed elements” that would otherwise not be inspected on-site by the local building officials. That is why most states have design review and inspection programs to ensure that all systems built away from the site, meet code.
The Role of the Manufactured Buildings Program:
In Massachusetts, our home state, there is a Manufactured Buildings Program. The program is a part of the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) who has authority and governs the design, manufacture, handling, storage, transportation, relocation, and installation of manufactured buildings, manufactured components, and modular homes (See Ninth Edition 780 CMR 110.R3.1.2) The BBRS is a part of the Department of Public Safety that ensures that all building construction in the state meets all code requirements, improves regulations to further commerce while ensuring safety and quality.
The essence of the Manufactured Buildings Program is to ensure that constructed assemblies built off-site are inspected before leaving the manufacturing plant. The modular manufacturer has the obligation to produce building plans stamped by state-licensed design and or engineering professionals showing that all structures and systems are engineered to current codes.
The program utilizes independent third-party inspection agencies who review the plans to code, make inspections, and carry forth regulatory intent. There is also a labeling requirement. The label is proof to the local official that prefabricated components have met the requirements of the program. Modular Manufacturers are licensed by the state annually. If the proper procedures are not followed, they can lose their license to build in the state.
The Role of the Architect and Modular Manufacturer:
The modular manufacturer’s obligations to the state are arguably separate and can seem detached from the site. As compared to conventional construction where the “owners’ architect” (a.k.a project architect, local architect, or design-builders architect) prepares all drawings for permitting and construction, the role of the modular manufacturer in providing stamped drawings for state approvals can create some confusion for the role of the architect.
We have found that not all modular manufacturers share approaches, and many will hire their own state-licensed engineers to stamp their modular building plans – the “owners’ architect” does not stamp those plans. In many modular projects, the modular manufacturer drawings make up 100% of the construction drawings sufficient for the state program, and these plans are also utilized in this structure as architectural plans for local permitting. Trade specific stamped plans (where requested or deemed required) for site-built elements supplement the modular building plans for a local permit.
Modular manufacturers indeed play a critical role in informing the design of a volumetric modular project. Structural frame sizing, weights, suitability for over-the-road transport, and connection point detailing of all systems need to be planned, drawn, and specified with manufacturing in mind. Off-site built buildings need to be designed for manufacturing. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has recognized the importance of this in its Modular and Off-Site Construction Guide.
Triumph Modular’s Approach to Improving the Construction Process:
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we believe there is a better way. Our favored approach is to have the modular factory contract with the project architect separately, to review and stamp the modular plans for submission to the state program.
The thought of the project architect having a separate contract with the Modular Manufacturer for approval of modular components may be viewed as overkill by some. The fact is that the Modular Manufacturer will already be under contract with the Owner or Construction Manager/Design Builder to build the modules. Even so, we do not see it as duplication or a conflict of interests. The bottom line is that there should be one architect who sits at the top of the project for all purposes.
People downstream of the overarching project architect will be accountable for certain things, and this is the case regardless of the form of construction. For example, the Modular Manufacturer will still provide the services and approvals of a structural engineer. A Construction Manager or Design Builder’s project manager will file for all local permits; however, these activities need all be coordinated, pulled together, and approved by a singular project architect. This approach will ensure that the off-site world and the on-site world are tied together, with enough plan details, information modeling showing connection points between off-site built units and on-site. This will avoid scope gaps at the time of modular installation.
Many owners come to us with architects “in hand”. They have conceptual options drawn to a schematic level and have reached a point they are deciding if modular is right for them. They also wonder about the role of the architect and associated costs. In part two of this blog, we will consider architectural costs in a volumetric modular construction project.
If you enjoyed reading Part 1 of this blog series, please read: Part 2: Permanent Modular Construction – The Role and Cost of an Architect
Related content: Is Modular Construction Less Expensive than Conventional?
Disclaimer: The foregoing is not offered as or should be taken as code or legal advice. You should contact the regulatory authorities having jurisdiction over manufactured structures in your state or one of their licensed third-party inspection agencies for further guidance. Each state is different in how it deals with these issues.
