Architects at EVstudio continue to see an increase in demand for the use of modular design and off-site construction in markets across the United States. The firm’s expertise spans more than a decade of working within the modular industry. Because of the growing trends in modular over the past several years, EVstudio created a modular studio that solely focuses its efforts on this industry.
The team has worked with clients in the hotel industry such as Marriot and Hilton to design and build modular hotels. Other clients like the College of Idaho, to build modular dorms to expand on-campus student housing; Spring Creek, a multi-story apartment development in Colorado; and multi-family developments in urban locations have been the core of our modular work.
Using a Hybrid Approach to Modular
An important component to the success of any modular project is using a hybrid approach, which includes members from our traditional design team partnered with our modular experts who have experience addressing the assembly and sequencing associated with offsite construction. This unique combo brings the best of both worlds to ensure creative design elements meet the goals of the project with an intentional design mindset geared towards manufacturing.
Developing New Partnerships
EVstudio is the perfect partner on any modular project wanting to use this successful hybrid approach because the team is well-rounded and has the expertise to work on all aspects of any modular project from start to finish. EVstudio is excited to announce that we have partnered with AMS Construction and BMarko Structures in this capacity and we are working together on a new modular design and off-site construction project that will bring 190 units of unique modular multifamily housing to Spartanburg, South Carolina.
“We look forward to this new partnership and working together to bring off-site construction to this 9-acre attainable housing development in the city of Spartanburg. Working with BMarko to pioneer the “pop-up” factory concept has been a great experience and we look forward to the journey over the coming months to bring this concept to fruition,” said Troy Tiddens, modular studio lead with EVstudio.
Multifamily Modular Design
This colonial-style multifamily off-site construction build is the first of its kind in Spartanburg. The 190-unit apartment modular development consists of 315 modules and each building is designed to look like individual units once the modular boxes are stacked into place. The 174,000 SF development will consist of a combination of single-level and two-story dwelling units that vary in size, the number of bedrooms, and bathrooms. Amenities include a full kitchen, laundry space, front and back porches, extra storage, and covered street parking. Also, the development boasts of a 3,000 SF community space for its residents to enjoy. The community center includes a large front porch area, gathering space with a full kitchen, leasing offices, a conference room, and a business center.
Modular Construction from the Inside Out
There are impressive benefits when working with modular design – quicker delivery of units and more predictable costs – to be realized by manufacturing building components off-site and assembling them onsite. The design starts from the inside out, which is why having a hybrid team approach in place on any off-site build is so important to the success of the project. “neUdesign’s team not only has the expertise in understanding modular, but they also understand the end product. This is extremely helpful because the team can think forward and quickly know and understand what can and can’t be done, as well as understanding any limitations in creating the finished product,” said Kristin Montgomery, project lead with EVstudio.
This hybrid modular team typically consists of an architect, who develops the plans and ensures the units and overall building are designed per the client’s vision and meets the local jurisdictions’ code requirements. The Architects will also manage a multidisciplinary engineering team who focuses on the mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and structural systems that go into each space. Together this team ensures everything goes well in all phases of the project.
In the early stages of the project, the team worked with the client on the unit-type layouts to meet the needs for each bedroom and bathroom configuration. The architectural team also worked closely with the civil engineer to create a site plan that was community friendly and incorporated building types to fit site parameters as well as the dwelling units’ requirements for the entire development.
Since the modular units are built in a factory, the team works directly with the factory to coordinate how the units are built. Also, the team deals with city and state jurisdictions that review the project before, during, and after construction with various inspections on-site and in the factory.
Project Timeline
Design work on this multifamily project started approximately 16 months ago. As of January 2021, the architectural design has been approved and EVstudio’s team is currently working with the modular factory and the engineering team to create the first modular prototype for this multifamily development inside the factory. The team anticipates all modules will be built out in the factory over the next 10 months, and the crane setting will start taking place this Spring.
“This project was a huge undertaking, and the team put so much time and effort into the modular design. We’ve had an amazing team of architects, modular specialists, engineers, and drafters working together on this project to figure everything out, analyze exactly how this project would work best, and how it would fit together. EVstudio is excited to see this multifamily project come to reality,” said Montgomery. More to come about this modular project in the future.
Contact EVstudio’s modular studio online or call 208.884.2824 to learn more about the Spartanburg, South Carolina multifamily modular housing development or other housing projects our team has worked on.
