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More Modular Buzz

IT’S A MOD, MOD, MOD, MOD WORLD

 

Forest City Ratner’s modular building in Brooklyn garnered big headlines last year, but aspects of modular construction are becoming increasingly common across the city–and the world

By Al Barbarino 7:00am

http://commercialobserver.com/

madworld

Two years ago, Bruce Ratner sought to ease a shrinking budget and appease swarms of critics who lambasted the original rendering for a residential tower at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn as a “Lego-like” atrocity.

Like a frustrated schoolboy, he punted the plans to erect a set of oddly arranged giant blocks, shoving designer Frank Gehry aside and bringing in a team of modular consultants who—ironically, given the reputation of modular buildings—transformed the blueprint into a much sleeker 32-story structure.

“It will be beautiful,” Mr. Ratner said at the groundbreaking last month. “You do not have to compromise on design when you build modular, and this building will prove that.”

The success of the B2 building, set to become the tallest modular building in the world, will serve as a catalyst for the growth of modular construction among high-rise and commercial buildings, a market that has exploded elsewhere in the world and that modular builders in the United States have hoped to tap into for years.

The project also highlights the growth of modular design across property types throughout New York City, as real estate companies look to trim costs and save time by incorporating modular methods into commercial buildings, using prefabricated façades, paneling, doors, roofing and computerized interfaces.

“There is no such thing as site building anymore,” said Tom O’Hara, director of business development at Capsys Corporation, a modular builder. “Every single site is using prefabricated construction. Something is componentized, whether it’s the roofing or the doors. Modular takes that one step further—it’s the zenith of that process.”

The 32-story, 363-apartment B2, which will almost rub up against the new Barclays Center, is one of 15 modular towers said to be coming to the site. Like other modular buildings, much of it is being manufactured in a factory setting, and it will eventually be hauled nearly two miles from the Brooklyn Navy Yard and snapped together on-site.

It’s unlikely that 32-story modular buildings will begin popping up across the city anytime soon, but Mr. Ratner’s decision shines a spotlight on a building method that has existed for decades.

Proponents of the method have treated modular design as gospel for years, and real estate industry professionals (even those not directly involved in modular building) agree that the cost and time savings afforded in smaller-scale projects translates into larger, taller buildings.

“It’s one of the best-kept secrets in the real estate industry, but I think that this building will change that,” said Amy Marks, owner and president of XSite Modular, the modular consultant on the Atlantic Yards project. “If you’re building a building today and not considering some sort of modular or prefab, you’re missing out on a tremendous value.”

Modular buildings consist of multiple sections, or modules, that are built in a remote facility and then delivered to a construction site and assembled. Because components are created in a factory setting, the method can save time, money and reduce water and energy consumption.

Modular builders procure less-expensive materials from a range of global distributors. While the controlled assembly line-like environment offers factory workers a steady 9 to 5, they are generally paid much less than their on-site counterparts. On-site carpenters earn as much as $50 more in wages and benefits, some experts said.

Consultants on the B2 project have said modular design will shave 10 months off of the 28-month construction schedule, and others said a fully modular design could cut the schedule by as much as 50 percent.

“Whether that means hospital are getting patients into beds sooner, or landlords getting tenants faster, that makes a big difference,” Ms. Marks said.

The B2 isn’t the first building to thrust modular design into the public eye. In 2009, a 24-story, $34 million high-rise dormitory was completed in Wolverhampton, England, in less than 12 months, becoming the tallest modular building in Europe. And several years ago, China set off a firestorm in the industry when it started building modular hotels and completing the projects in a matter of days.

The 902 modules used in the Wolverhampton tower and adjacent low-rise units were constructed in Cork, Ireland, before being transported to the construction site, culminating in 657 student bedrooms and 157 postgraduate apartments. The construction would have taken twice as long using conventional on-site methods, its developers said at the time.

The new 69,000-square-foot mid-rise Lehman College Science Building, designed by Perkins + Will, is another modular building drawing attention locally; it is expected to become the first LEED-certified building in the City University of New York system. The 13,000-square-foot Lehman College Child Care Center, designed by Garrison Architects and completed last year, is also modular.

But prefabrication techniques are also being incorporated into conventional buildings throughout New York City, even if the buildings’ structure itself isn’t modular, with builders using factories with lower costs to prefabricate kitchens, bathrooms, paneling and the like. Others are being built as hybrids between modular and conventional buildings.

For example, the Cambria Suites Hotel, being built by Capsys Corporation in White Plains, N.Y., will stack five modular hotel suites atop three site-built floors. Last summer, the firm also built the MacDougal Street Apartments, a six-story, 65-unit supportive housing facility at 330 MacDougal Street in Brooklyn—which took a total of 12 days to complete. The firm’s factory employs about 70 workers year round, five days a week.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, it doesn’t matter if it’s snowing. And all of their tools are right there. It’s very comfortable work compared to on-site construction work,” Mr. O’Hara said. “Those trade guys work hard and they earn their money … it’s hard being a trade guy. We try to streamline it and make it good work for people, make it comfortable.”

While modular building dates back at least a century, it gained national attention as troops returned home after World War II, when it became the preferred building method for housing in rural and suburban settings across the United States.

The 1960s and 1970s gave rise to more complicated designs as consumer demands became more sophisticated, and in the 1980s, even more intricate modular homes began to take shape across the Northeast, in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and, to a lesser degree, New York.

“The New Jersey suburbs are full of beautiful, custom-designed houses that were executed in modular factories,” Mr. O’Hara said.

Slowly, modular seeped into the commercial industry, becoming popular for building low- to mid-rise structures—affordable housing, hospitals and other medical facilities, schools and office complexes—with companies like Capsys, Deluxe Building Systems and NRB among those paving the way in the Northeast.

But it was buildings like the one in Wolverhampton and those in China that highlighted the dreams of modular hopefuls and captured real estate’s collective psyche, slowly convincing developers like Mr. Ratner that modular is viable for high-rise buildings. Mr. Ratner admitted that a YouTube video of the 15-story Ark Hotel being erected in China in two days (the building was ultimately completed in six) was the last straw.

“That was the icing on the cake,” Mr. Ratner told The New York Observer in December 2012.

In December 2011, Broad Sustainable Building Corporation, the same company that built the Ark, completed the 183,000-square-foot, 30-story Tower Hotel just outside Yueyang in China’s Hunan Province in 15 days. It was reportedly built to withstand a magnitude-9.0 earthquake.

Given the space constraints in a city as densely packed as New York City, transporting modular buildings to certain parts of the city is simply impossible—and adding modular components into a renovation project can be a insurmountable challenge as well (imagine trying to haul four stories of a Midtown high-rise through the Holland Tunnel, or hoisting fully constructed kitchens into an existing office building).

But most agree that incorporating at least certain elements of modular design is beneficial, with firms across the city opening up to the idea.

“It’s something that needs to be embraced, just like any other option we have in our arsenal,” said Scott Spector, a principal at the architectural firm Spector Group. “I think there are pieces of it we can use, and we’ve definitely incorporated it, but it depends on the aesthetics and the type of space.”

Mr. Spector believes warehouse and suburban office environments are ideal for modular building. It also has its place in larger commercial buildings, in terms of sophisticated video teleconferencing or “telepresence” units, and for certain specialty conference rooms that incorporate glass partitioning not built on-site.

“You would never know it wasn’t built on-site with five different trades coming in,” Mr. Spector said. “Instead the panels are made in a factory … and there’s no way you can tell if it was done on-site.”

But Mr. Spector remains skeptical about its use in commercial high-rise buildings. The “menu” of options a modular builder can provide often do not fulfill the requirements of owners—or the creative aspirations of conventional architects, he said. It’s something like being limited to the dollar menu at McDonald’s—it’s definitely cheaper, but it’s not surf and turf.

“You lose the more detailed design and customization options, and that is one of the things that make modular design difficult in a commercial setting,” he said. “I just can’t tell you that they would give me all of the options that I want … it doesn’t lend itself to the type of architecture on these custom-designed office buildings being built in the city.”

Some union workers fear that the rise of modular skyscrapers could mean fewer hours as they’re replaced by factory workers. Forest City Ratner worked closely with New York City building trade unions to address those concerns, striking an agreement that B2’s fabrication facility will employ 125 union workers earning $55,000 per year (about 25 percent below the average construction wage).

The B2 agreement reflects an “innovative approach to development that will allow us to realize the vision of the Atlantic Yards project and create traditional construction jobs that may otherwise have been at risk,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, when the deal was announced.

Mr. O’Hara, the director of business development at Capsys Corporation, agreed.

“To a certain degree, our people used to work in the field,” he said. “There’s no reason a carpenter or electrician working in the field can’t come work for a company like ours.”

 http://commercialobserver.com/2013/01/its-a-mod-mod-mod-modular-world/

Housing Built in Record Time

Modular construction delivers model for New York Housing in record time

Building Design + Construction Magazine

 

A 65-unit supportive housing facility in Brooklyn, N.Y., was completed in record time using modular construction with six stories set in just 12 days.

 
330 MacDougal Street, Brooklyn, NY. 85 modules forming 65 studio apartments and

330 MacDougal Street, Brooklyn, NY. 85 modules forming 65 studio apartments and the supporting public areas, stair towers and elevator shaft of five residential levels above a site-built first level. Client: Concern for Independent Living, Medford, NY, Architect: DeLaCour & Ferrara Architects, Brooklyn, NY.

 

 

 

Concern for Independent Living, a New York-based non-profit group providing supportive housing was in need of a new housing facility in Brooklyn, N.Y., for low-income individuals recovering from mental illness. Using modular construction allowed the project to be completed in record time, quickly transforming the property into a residence with 65 studio apartments.

The development of this program included the demolition of the existing building and the new construction of the MacDougal Street Apartments. The new building is the first Single-Site Supportive Housing Program in New York State to utilize modular building techniques and provides a model for modular construction in supportive housing.

The MacDougal Street Apartment complex is located on the site of a former residential program for adolescents, which closed in 2005. The buildings on the property remained vacant and boarded up, becoming a neighborhood eyesore until the property was purchased by Concern for Independent Living in 2008. The vacant structures were demolished to make room for the newly constructed six-story building.

Eighty-four modules were constructed off-site at Capsys Corp.’s manufacturing plant at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The factory-controlled process moved the construction off site to bring the order and control of an assembly line, minimizing construction waste and site disturbances. Starting with the fabrication of the structural elements, components were added to the modules as they moved through the factory. Windows, doors, MEP systems and fixtures, and trims were all installed along the line. The modules were then wrapped in protective materials and moved to temporary storage awaiting their trip to the building site to become part of the building project.

Project Summary


Number of modules: 84
Number of stories: 6
Installation time: 12 days
Square footage: 29,850

While the site was being prepared and the foundations constructed, Capsys was simultaneously fabricating the modules. When the site was ready, so were the modules. A large hydraulic construction crane was staged at the site, modules were transported in a systematic order to the crane hook and modules were quickly stacked and welded creating a unitized structural whole assembly. The erection process happened so quickly that all six stories were installed in just 12 days.

The project was funded by NYS Office of Mental Health and designed by DeLaCour and Ferrara Architects. This apartment building provides safe, affordable housing and on-site supportive services, incorporating many of the latest advances in construction techniques and sustainable features such as Energy Recovery Ventilation, Photovoltaic technology for power generation and substantial reductions in energy use.

Residents enjoy their own studio apartment with private bathroom and kitchenette. The building includes a fitness center, computer room/library, laundry facilities, several lounges, and outdoor recreational areas.

When Concern for Independent Living purchased the site, they promised to improve the neighborhood by developing an attractive building that is an asset to the community; increasing employment opportunities; encouraging the stability, self-sufficiency and productivity of adults living with mental illness; and increasing affordable housing opportunities for disabled men and women. This project has succeeded in achieving all of these goals.

“We are proud to have companies like Capsys Corp. as members of the Modular Building Institute,” said Tom Hardiman, executive director.  “With their help, we are changing the way the world builds.”

To see the full article go to:

A few words about Capsys in ‘Building and Construction Northeast’

 
Article by Kathryn Jones
‘Building and Construction Norheast’
 

Few, if any, companies can say they built a luxury hotel in less than one year, but that’s exactly what Capsys Corp. of Brooklyn, N.Y., did in 2005. The 30-unit Harborfront Inn features oversized soak­ing and whirlpool baths, spacious showers with floor-to-ceiling porcelain tile and body jets, and balconies overlooking the Peconic Bay and Shelter Island.

Modular construction enabled the 25,000-square-foot Harborfront Inn to be erected on short schedule, Capsys Gen­eral Manager Bill McShane says. “We produced the [51] modules in about four months of production,” he recalls. “The construction process took eight months.”

Each module is constructed at Capsys’ Brooklyn factory and designed to interconnect when welded together on site, essentially fitting together like pieces of an enormous jigsaw puzzle. Once that process is completed, contractors put on the exterior finishes and perform mech­anical, electrical and plumbing connections that are fed between the modules.  

“We typically get involved during the schematic design process and become an integral member of the project team,” McShane notes. “One of the things that sets us apart – even from other manufacturers that do similar work to what we do – is our knowledge and ability to work with the general construction, architecture and engineering industries closely to understand the way the building will be built, while incorporating our efficient manufacturing process in with that.”

Although standard field construction con­tinues to be the most popular building method, the advantages to modular build­ing are many, McShane points out. For instance, each of the modules is thick-sided, fully enclosed and 90 percent com­pleted before it is delivered to the job site. 

“Being able to construct these units within a factory environment offers a level of supervision and quality control that is unmatched in field construction,” he says. “Within the 300 feet of our production line, we are able to monitor and oversee everything from welding of the structural steel frame to the electrical wiring and routing of plumbing piping to finish of the dry wall and installation for cabinets, doors and hardware.”

Constructing the modules in an en­closed factory environment prevents common field construction hindrances such as poor weather conditions, vandalism or theft. “As a consequence, a modular construction project can be completed much faster,” McShane remarks. 

“The fact that site work, such as putting a foundation in, can be done simultaneously as we’re producing the modules means the time spent completing the building is compressed greatly,” he adds. “As a side note, our attention to detail and our in-house value-engineering and estimating allow us to give very solid pricing early on in the schematic design phase.” 

Green and Cutting-Edge

Modular construction has become in­­creasingly popular in a troublesome eco­n­omy where owners want a quick return on their investments and seek to have buildings constructed as soon as possible. As a result, modular buildings are still in demand, even in a recession. “Currently, we’re involved in building a large amount of affordable housing,” McShane notes. 

Brooklyn’s 330 MacDougal Street is a 65-unit supportive housing project for Concern for Independent Living, a fit group focused on providing housing support for the needy in New York City and Long Island. The six-story, 29,850-square-foot structure utilizes the latest advances in construction techniques, which is something McShane says Capsys is known for. “We pride ourselves on being up to date and knowledgeable about building codes and regulation, upcoming technology and innovations in energy efficiency,” he states. 

For instance, 330 MacDougal Street features energy recovery ventilation and photovoltaic technology for significant reductions in energy consumption. “The construction industry as a whole is moving into the sustainable lifestyle, but modular construction has been green all along,” McShane says. “Our meth­ods and materials used, and our overall process reduces the impact on the environment greatly.”

Capsys has produced ENERGYSTAR townhouses and LEED Silver buildings, and often incorporates green building components such as geothermal pumps, energy-efficient lighting fixtures, low-VOC materials, low-flow plumbing fixtures and composite insulation systems. 

“Some of the materials we use in our modules – which are steel-framed, non-combustible modules – are inherently recycled,” McShane says. “As a company, we actively recycle all of our waste gypsum board, waste steel and cardboard packaging. We’ve been doing this as a regular course of business, not as a reaction to the green trend nationwide. It’s just the way we do business.”

Located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Capsys was founded in 1996 by Pres­ident Nick Lembo to build Nehemiah II, 700 homes for the Nehemiah Housing De­velopment Fund Co. The company’s unique approach to this project earned it the “Build New York” and the U.S. De­p­ar­tment of Housing and Urban De­ve­l­o­p­ment’s “Innovation in Housing” awards. However, its use of modular construction posed a unique challenge in that it built homes faster than land could be­come available, McShane says. 

“In the interim, we started doing other projects ranging from townhouses to multifamily buildings to hotels,” he re­calls. “By the time we finished those 700 homes, we were already specialized in a number of different project types.”

Capsys continues to pace itself and seek new applications for modular construction to ensure that it will continue to operate efficiently when the housing market improves.

“I see student housing as a market that is not as susceptible to the ups and downs of the overall housing market,” McShane says. 

“Because of the speed and efficiency of modular construction, we are able to meet the needs of a client when they need student housing built in a short period of time. We actually have a design that is flexible and already prepackaged for residence halls; we can go from an initial concept to completion within 12 months – I think that’s unmatched anywhere in the construction industry.”

http://www.buildingandconstruction-northeast.com/index.php/sections/profiles1/342-capsys-corp

A Ribbon Cutting Officially Opened The MacDougal Street Apartments

June 1, 2012, 7:00 a.m. EDT

Concern For Independent Living Opens The MacDougal Street Apartments, a New 65-Unit Supportive Housing Project in Crown Heights, Brooklyn

 
 BROOKLYN, N.Y., June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Concern for Independent Living, a leading nonprofit provider of supportive housing, held a ribbon cutting today to officially open The MacDougal Street Apartments, bringing an innovative supportive housing development and more than a dozen new jobs to the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.The project was made possible by support from the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH), NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, Astoria Federal Savings, Richman Housing Resources, and New York City.The 65-unit MacDougal Street Apartments is located on the site of a former residential program for adolescents, which closed in 2005. The buildings on the property remained vacant and boarded up, becoming a neighborhood eyesore until the property was purchased by Concern in 2008. The vacant structures were demolished to make room for a newly constructed six-story building.Built using modular construction techniques, The MacDougal Street Apartments is the first of its kind in New York State. Eighty-four modules were constructed off-site at Capsys Corp.’s manufacturing plant at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and transported to the project site for “stacking” on the building’s foundation. This technique quickly transformed the property into a residence with 65 studio apartments for low-income individuals recovering from mental illness. The residents include formerly homeless individuals and persons exiting OMH’s state residency system. All units are wired for high-speed internet access, cable and telephone. The building features multiple lounges, a computer room, exercise room, dining hall and outdoor gardens.When Concern purchased the site, they promised to improve the neighborhood by developing an attractive building that is an asset to the community; increasing employment opportunities; encouraging the stability, self-sufficiency and productivity of adults living with mental illness; and increasing affordable housing opportunities for disabled men and women. This project has succeeded in achieving all of these goals.”When you remove an eyesore building, replace it with beautiful housing and create 18 new permanent jobs, there is good reason to celebrate,” said Ralph Fasano, Executive Director of Concern for Independent Living.

“The MacDougal Street Apartments does all of that as well as create a beautiful and supportive living environment. I want to thank our partners in government and our not-for-profit and for-profit lenders for making this dream a reality,” he said.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner/CEO Darryl C. Towns said, “The measure of a society is how it treats those who are most vulnerable. Under the leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo, HCR is working within the Medicaid Redesign Team to find better ways to address the medical and social issues of Medicaid’s highest-need clients. Supportive housing has been shown to improve the overall health and well-being of these individuals, helping advance their independence through stable and safe environments. We are proud to be part of the MacDougal Apartments project and part of transforming the lives of the 65 people who will call it home.”

Office of Mental Health Commissioner Mike Hogan said, “Housing is a basic need for everyone. For people with mental illness, safe, decent and affordable housing is the foundation upon which recovery is built. Concern for Independent Living has demonstrated an ability to operate outstanding supported housing services. With this project, Concern will help start 65 more individuals on that path to recovery.”

The total development cost for The MacDougal Street Apartments was $21.7 million. Financing included 4% Tax Credits issued by New York State Homes and Community Renewal, a grant from the New York State Office of Mental Health, and an Affordable Housing Program grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York.

Concern for Independent Living, Inc. is a nonprofit agency committed to helping low income persons and persons with disabilities to live in the community with dignity and enhanced opportunities through the provision of housing and support services. Concern is one of the largest housing agencies of this kind in New York State, currently serving approximately 700 individuals and families in over 200 locations. Concern offers a variety of housing options with individualized support services designed to support personal growth and independence.

Contact: Ralph FasanoExecutive DirectorConcern for Independent Living, Inc.631-758-0474rfasano@concernhousing.org

SOURCE Concern for Independent Living, Inc.

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

 
‘The Wall Street Journal Market Watch’; “Concern for Inpdependent Living Opens The MacDougal Street Apartments, a New 65-Unit Supportive Housing Project in Crown Heights, Brooklyn”; June 1, 2012;

Kanban Pull System

As the Ashburton and McDougal Project are nearing turnover to their respective owners, the plant “Kanban Pull System” project is out of the planning stages into the implementing stage. The Japanese word, “Kanban” can be translated into English as “Sign Board” and is an important part of our “Pull System”. Taichi Ohno, the creator of the Toyota Production System,  devised a plan in the 1950’s to have demand and actual production determine quantity and timing of re-orders in purchasing. This plan was thought up into existence after Mr. Ohno and the Toyota team visited a United States Supermarket and could not believe its efficiencies.  Using Visual Re-fill points (flags, measuring rods, marked bins, three bins, etc.) and Re-order points coupled with a Daily Patrol and thorough 5S, we can achieve a “pull system” instead of the very wasteful “push system”.

Our System is nearly 50% complete and fully implemented by November of 2011. The 5S methodology will give our plant a very aesthetically pleasing environment with a clear vision of continuous improvement in the Inventory Scheduling and Control Systems.

The initial Value Added Space Percentage was recorded at 60% (40231/66816). After the 5S, we are estimating at improving that number to 80% then continuously improving from there.  The 5S methodology consists of:

  1. Sorting – Recognizing waste and discarding
  2. Straightening – Creating a set place for all materials and processes
  3. Shining – Keeping things clean
  4. Standardizing – Everything should be consistent and identical. Every process and worker should know exactly what their role’s and responsibilities are.  
  5. Sustaining – This is easily the most difficult part of the process and a clear system of sustaining the gains made while continuing to improve must be part of the corporate charter.

Come out for a tour and see how our already efficient production process and soon to be Lean Supply Chain will change the face of construction in New York!

Lean Thinking

With Capsys adopting Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing into its Manufacturing line, one cannot help but think of a famous quote by Shigeo Shingo, “The most dangerous kind of waste is the waste we do not recognize.” One can locate waste in many different departments in any organization by asking the simple question, “Does this add value?” If it does not, it is waste and must be discarded. 

Waste or “Muda” as it is called in Lean Manufacturing is everywhere and it starts in the system/program that is responsible for everything. When designing an inventory system, production line, supply chain, production process, schedule, site management, quality control system, one must be cognizant of each step in the process because each step is magnified through time and it either focuses or folds to its pressure.  

Starting in February of 2011, Capsys has adopted this kind of Lean thinking and has enjoyed great success in its manufacturing line by nearly doubling its production efficiency in a little over 5 months while controlling costs by changing to a Kanban, pull-type Supply Chain. Its yields have also been increasing due to a more proactive quality control system that locates causes of problems versus just trying to catch after the fact defects.

On June 27th, 2011, Capsys welded its first Chassis for Phase III of the Nehemiah Spring Creek Townhouse Project. In concurrency, Capsys is setting the Hanac Bathroom Pods, putting the finishing touches on the Ashburton and McDougal Projects, and starting erection of the Victory Blvd projects in early August of 2011.

Bringing these individual systems and projects together in an interconnected system of continuous improvement makes Capsys poised for a strong finish to 2011 and a stronger beginning to 2012. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like a tour of our construction manufacturing plant in New York City.

6 story building = 2 weeks

Capsys just completed setting a 6-story, 65 unit supportive housing building in Brooklyn.  The project is a supportive housing building located the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.  The 30,000 SF modular portion of the building was erected in 2 weeks, now the general contractor will be able to complete the building in record time.