RC108 SeptOct2023 - Magazine - Page 24
CONSTRUCTION
THE MOD SQUAD
Modular construction is picking up the slack
to deliver critical infrastructure by John Tenpenny
S THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
continues to grapple with
rising labour costs because
of shortages in skilled labour
and the demand for more and
affordable housing, pushed
by population growth, shows no signs
of slowing down, an opportunity for
innovation has been created and filled
by modular construction.
Modular construction is used in
many applications, including residential, commercial, health care, and others.
Infrastructure Ontario has employed
modular construction as part of its
accelerated building program to deliver
long-term care homes, such as the
recently opened Lakeridge Gardens at
Ajax Pickering Hospital. Most existing
modular buildings are low or mid-rise,
however there have been several highrise modular buildings constructed in
the last decade and demand appears to
be increasing.
The benefits of modular construction, including the lower cost of off-site
labour and shortened project schedules
are continuing to drive the growth of
the modular construction industry.
Taking the initiative
In the City of Toronto, modular construction provides a unique opportunity to respond rapidly to Toronto’s urgent need
to create more permanent affordable
The expansions at Kenora Jail and Thunder Bay
homes for people experiencing homeCorrectional Centre (pictured) leveraged both
lessness while reducing pressure on the
conventional site construction and modular construction.
city’s emergency shelter system.
According to Valesa Faria, director
with the Toronto Housing Secretariat, the city has set a target of creating
1,000 modular supportive homes as part of the Housing
TO 2020-2030 Action Plan, which was approved by City
John Tenpenny is the
Council in 2019. Launched in Spring 2020, the Modueditor of ReNew Canada.
john@actualmedia.ca
lar Housing Initiative (MHI) was intended to expedite
delivery of these modular in response to the COVID-19
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