Modular Construction Gains Credibility

It's about time that modular construction graduates and this report from McGraw-Hill helps validate this claim. For years modular office and prefabricated home manufacturers have been improving their processes, adding technology and utilizing many of the same building materials as conventional builders. Now with the help of the global green building and sustainable design movement modular builders are aligning with conventional builders on many design and construction levels. Link over to iModular.com and read the full article featured below.
Here's the link to the article:

Prefabrication and Modularization Increase Productivity McGraw-Hill Construction has released its latest SmartMarket Report, Prefabrication and Modularization: Increasing Productivity in the Construction Industry, which shows how prefabrication and modularization is yielding real business benefits for users. Commonly used prefabricated and modular building elements include mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, exterior walls, building superstructures, roofing, floors and interior room modules. Out of over 800 architecture, engineering and contracting (AEC) professionals surveyed, 66% report improved project schedules, 65% report decreased project costs, and 77% report reduced construction site waste— a key component in the rising adoption of green building. Click Here to read the article on iModular.com.

Green Building News and Ideas: AIA Asks for Carbon Neutral Action Plans

Green Building News and Ideas: AIA Asks for Carbon Neutral Action Plans

AIA Asks for Carbon Neutral Action Plans

This sounds like a smart program for AIA members, Energy Engineers, Facility Managers and Plant Managers to implement today! Thanks to AIA for reaching out to its membership. This type of action plan should reach a wide audience of commercial and residential building owners and managers. For businesses it may be a good first step to assign a team to the task. Empower this group to analyze current energy usage and then develop the multi-year action plans for owners, managers and employees to follow with the carbon neutral goal always in mind. Read below and start your action plan!
AIA Announces Results of First Year of Projected Energy Use Data from Firms Participating in 2030 Commitment Program
For immediate release:
New Orleans – May 12, 2011 –In 2009 the American Institute of Architects (AIA) introduced the 2030 Commitment Program, a voluntary initiative for AIA member firms and other entities in the built environment that asks these organizations to make a pledge, develop multi-year action plans, and implement steps that can advance AIA's goal of carbon neutral buildings by the year 2030.  At the end of the 2010 calendar year, firms were asked to submit an assessment of their 2010 design work using a toolreleased by the AIA last year.

"The findings are a good first step to see where we are as an industry in reaching the ultimate goal of achieving carbon neutrality in buildings by 2030.  It is encouraging to see the number of participating firms in this program and the large amount of real estate that their projects account for," said AIA EVP/Chief Executive Officer, Robert Ivy, FAIA.  "That said it is also a wake-up call for the profession that we need to be more steadfast in the prediction of energy usage in design projects, as well as collecting actual post-occupancy performance data."

A new report, Measuring Industry Progress towards AIA 2030 Carbon Reduction Goal, includes data from 56 firms accounting for nearly 385 million gross square feet (GSF) nationwide.  The key findings include:

• Firms reported a combined average 35.1% predicted energy use intensity (PEUI) reduction from the national average EUI.
• The largest PEUI reduction reported by a firm is 70.6%
• The smallest PEUI reduction reported by a firm is 11.6%
• The combined firms design portfolio that is meeting the current goal of a 60% reduction in carbon emissions reduction from the national average is 12.1%
• The largest percentage of GSF of active projects meeting goal reported by one firm is 69.8%
• The smallest percentage of GSF of active projects meeting goal reported by one firm is 0% (reported by multiple firms)
• GSF of projects currently being energy modeled is 58%
• The percentage of projects that will collect actual data is 38%

The full report also contains participating firm demographics, energy reduction initiatives undertaken by firms and anecdotal accounts of the challenges and lessons learned through participating in the 2030 Commitment Program.
About The American Institute of Architects
For over 150 years, members of the American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes. Members adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct to ensure the highest standards in professional practice. Embracing their responsibility to serve society, AIA members engage civic and government leaders and the public in helping find needed solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit http://www.aia.org/.

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