Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... 2
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 5
The Housing Shortage in the Bay Area ................................................................................................................ 6
Challenges to Meeting Demand ............................................................................................................................ 7
Development Cost ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Development Time ........................................................................................................................................................ 9
Definitions and History of Modular Construction ......................................................................................... 10
Case Studies: Modular in the Bay Area ............................................................................................................ 15
Modular Manufacturing .......................................................................................................................................... 15
Modular Multifamily Housing ................................................................................................................................ 18
Why Use Modular Construction? ................................................................................ 19
Benefits ....................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Cost Savings ................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Time Savings ................................................................................................................................................................. 22
Labor ................................................................................................................................................................................ 25
Quality Control ............................................................................................................................................................. 26
Site Impact ..................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Environmental Sustainability ................................................................................................................................. 27
Material Use and Economies of Scale ................................................................................................................ 28
Other Benefits ............................................................................................................................................................... 29
Barriers to Use of Modular Construction ..................................................................... 29
Industry Wide Drawbacks and Challenges ...................................................................................................... 29
Capitalization ................................................................................................................................................................ 29
Early Commitment to Design ................................................................................................................................. 34
Permitting and Inspection ....................................................................................................................................... 34
Additional Material .................................................................................................................................................... 35
Transportation ............................................................................................................................................................. 36
Site Equipment and Constraints ............................................................................................................................ 37
Waterproofing on Site ............................................................................................................................................... 39
Challenges For Modular Manufacturers .......................................................................................................... 39
Module Manufacturing ............................................................................................................................................ 39
Manufacturing Facility .............................................................................................................................................. 40
Production Time and Manufacturing Capacity ............................................................................................... 40
Modular Production Cost ......................................................................................................................................... 41
Waterproofing .............................................................................................................................................................. 43
Pipeline and Capacity ................................................................................................................................................ 44
Next Steps Towards a Scalable Model ......................................................................... 45
Immediate Solutions ............................................................................................................................................ 46
Collaboration ................................................................................................................................................................ 46
Design Process .............................................................................................................................................................. 47
Future Changes and Solutions ............................................................................................................................. 47
Design .............................................................................................................................................................................. 47