Modular school classrooms: A new era By Marianna Harley
The old, “cold, square box outside” that nobody wanted to be in.
Until recently, there has been a stigma
With advancements in design and
around the portable classroom. Per-
engineering, modular construction has
ceived as the “cold, square box outside”
moved to the forefront as a viable alter-
that nobody wanted to be in, today we
native to “site built” for new facilities.
know that a modern classroom can be
Whether permanent or temporary, there
designed to complement existing fa-
are major advantages for schools and
cilities and is a fast, flexible solution for
educational organizations to consider
schools and school districts working
modular.
within a tight timeline and budget.
South Burnaby (Head Office) 8028 North Fraser Way Burnaby, BC V5J 0E1
Phone: (604) 454-5075 Fax: (604) 454-5073 Email: sbursales@rsl.ca
North Burnaby 3958 Myrtle Street Burnaby, BC V5C 4G2
Phone: (604) 435-1313 Fax: (604) 435-7677 Email: bursales@rsl.ca
Increasing enrollments and govern-
Vancouver
Langley
Phone: (604) 872-7521
Phone: (604) 539-2290
132 West 2nd Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Y 1C2 Fax: (604) 872-7460 Email: vansales@rsl.ca
#102 – 6375 202nd Street Langley, BC V2Y 1N1 Fax: (604) 539-2295 Email: lansales@rsl.ca
Coquitlam
Victoria
Phone: (604) 944-0441
Phone: (250) 475-6055
2394 Canoe Ave Coquitlam, BC V3K 6C2 Fax: (604) 944-0450 Email: coqsales@rsl.ca
Kelowna
1885 Baron Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6W2
Phone: (250) 763-3114 Fax: (250) 861-1546 Email: kelsales@rsl.ca
524E Culduthel Road Victoria, BC V8Z 1G1
Fax: (250) 475-1985 Email: vicsales@rsl.ca
Distributing Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning, and Heating Parts and Equipment to the HVAC and Refrigeration Trade.
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Ops Talk • Spring 2014
ment-imposed limits on class size often require school districts to add new or expand existing facilities. The flexibility of modular classrooms deliver valuable teaching space that grows with your school. Minimal site preparation also means your new modular classroom can also be added wherever you want them located. Modular, portable classrooms can also facilitate continued learning during new construction or extended building upgrades. With enrollment growing in some areas and declining in others, modular classrooms provide the flexibility to be moved or clustered should enrollment forecasts change. Today’s modern school buildings should be comfortable, flexible and safe spaces. Leading modular builders now partner with architectural and engineering firms to collaborate on design and make sure all building-code requirements are strictly adhered to, with the added benefit that layouts that can be reconfigured for changing class sizes or uses in the future. Modular buildings are constructed in a controlled factory environment, so you
