Making the most out of modulars
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odular construction is quickly gaining traction on Vancouver Island — but what is it and why is it so popular? Modular construction, according to modular.org, is a “process in which a building is constructed off-site, under controlled plant conditions, using the same materials and designing to the same codes and standards as conventionally built facilities — but in about half the time.” Buildings are “produced in ‘modules’ that, when put together on site, reflect the identical design intent and specifications of the most sophisticated site-built facility.” Muchalat Group of Companies, located in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, offers construction management services for commercial and multi-family residential construction, as well as suspended slab application, seismic upgrades, and building envelope remediation. While they’re reputable on many fronts, they’re widely known for their Modular Factory, which is where we’re told the magic really happens. The Factory, located at 2956 Ulverston Avenue in Cumberland, is where Muchalat’s modular units are constructed, painted, tiled and finished. According to Tania Formosa, co-owner of Muchalat, the Factory is a one-acre building with three bays in
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which modular units are constructed for various projects across the Island. Once complete, they simply need to be attached and installed to the foundation and utilities on site. “Because we build them to transport, they can withstand movement and are very structurally sound,” says Formosa. Once the modular units are installed, it is hard to tell that they are, in fact, modulars because they make seamless transitions into their environments, she adds. “Our modulars are made of wood-frame construction. The exteriors can be a hardy plank or hard metal siding. It can be made of anything, but we design them so that it doesn’t look like we put it on a site and slapped it together — because we didn’t,” says Formosa. She adds that modulars are just as good as, if not better than, traditional builds in terms of durability and process. “Everything is built in a dry environment, which works well in our area because we live in a rainforest,” Formosa says. “Our materials never get wet so we can move forward without being delayed due to weather restrictions.” Another reason why modular construction is being touted as an effective modern-day building method is the shorter project schedules due to the work occurring in one location —
