RC108 SeptOct2023 - Magazine - Page 26
CONSTRUCTION
The process for construction of the modular housing is largely similar to traditional
residential construction, according to Faria.
The process begins with site selection, design
and engineering, followed by planning
approvals and building permits and finally
on-site preparation and foundation work.
During site preparation, modules are manufactured in a factory off-site, making the
process faster than traditional construction.
Just in time
Housing of a different sort was also leveraged for the expansions at Kenora Jail and
Thunder Bay Correctional Centre.
Completed in 2022 by Bird Construction’s
Stack Modular business, the two projects
featured a 50-bed medium security
correctional facility at each site with multiuse spaces, yard space and a cultural area to
support multiple programs and educational
opportunities. The project introduced
prefabricated modular elements for the
cell blocks integrated with a central sitebuilt hub housing high ceiling day rooms
and the mechanical mezzanine to meet the
requirements of rapid delivery.
In partnership with Bird Construction,
Stack Modular manufactures purpose-built
structural steel modular buildings in China
for the residential, hospitality, commercial
and resource sectors.
For both projects a combination of off-site
prefabricated modular construction components and site-built foundations supported
an aggressive schedule, increased the quality
of construction, reduced the overall costs
and time to fabricate, and demonstrated sensitivity to reduce environmental impacts in
contrast to traditional site-built construction.
All of this is the result of what Stack
Modular president Jim Dunn refers to as the
“controlled environment” of building in offsite in a factory.
“The fact that we’re buying majority
of the materials up front means we’re not
subjected the just in time model, which is
what construction is. So, if you’re building
a 10-storey building, you might need 300
shipments of drywall and if just one or two
of those shipments of drywall are late there’s
a ripple effect.”
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The use of steel in the construction of
its modular buildings means Stack can go
higher than codes allow the use of wood,
such as a 14-storey project—Canada’s tallest
modular build—recently awarded to the
Bird Stack partnership.
The $50-million project for BC Housing’s
Permanent Supportive Housing Initiative,
will be located on East King Edward Avenue
in Vancouver, and consist of 109 studio
homes.
The project design was supported by
Bird’s pre-construction design services, with
the final design delivered by Stantec and
Bird’s Stack Modular business. The seamless
exterior design will include elements that
represent Coast Salish and Urban Indigenous Peoples, with the facade highlighted
by timber-like panels and blank exterior
wall space for culturally themed murals. It
will follow the Passive House green building design standard, and the prefabricated
modular construction method will reduce
construction waste, expedite the construction
process, and reduce costs.
As the first modular project of this height
We anticipate.
We investigate.
We resolve.
For more than 20 years HKA has
helped Canadian owners, developers,
contractors and counsel navigate
pitfalls that could derail large, mission
critical infrastructure projects.
Employing over 1,000 experts and
consultants worldwide, HKA’s goal
is to mitigate construction problems
as early as possible, from preconstruction through delivery.
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26
RENEW CANADA – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
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