Modulars Fit Nicely Into Place For Student Housing
There are increasingly higher rates of enrollment at colleges and universities, ultimately resulting in the urgent need for affordable student housing, and modular construction is a quick and cost-effective option.
SAN MARCOS, TX—There are increasingly higher rates of enrollment at colleges and universities throughout the country, ultimately resulting in the urgent need for affordable student housing. However, the cost of the overall development and labor is high, which drives up the cost of rent.
Modular construction is being used in some areas to address these issues. One such project is Cheatham Street Flats, a multi-story steel-framed student housing complex. The housing project will replace the current blighted city block with a contemporary exterior and modern interior that will service the community of Texas State University.
The 175-unit 234-bed mixed-use development will be approximately 192,000 square feet when completed. The development will also feature underground parking that can accommodate up to 80 vehicles and pedestrian-friendly walkways surrounded by landscaping.
Z Modular, a division of Zekelman Industries, is part of the construction team on the project.
“By utilizing Z Modular and our disruptive steel-framed modular construction method, the Cheatham project will be completed within one year of groundbreaking, allowing the developer to open faster than with traditional construction methods,” said Richard Rozycki, senior vice president of Z Modular.
Ground broke for the project in late March 2018, and the project is scheduled to be ready for the steel-framed modules to be placed in late September 2018. Hayes Modular Group out of Austin, TX, will be coordinating and setting the modules at the site.
“The steel-framed system that Cheatham is built on will allow us to set the modules in half the time it would take at a traditional wood modular construction site, with minimal on-site work needed to ensure the proper structural connections,” said Rick Tavern, general manager of Hayes Modular Group.
The modules and steel-framed products for this project are fully manufactured in the US. By moving the construction to an off-site location, the foundation work would be completed before even arriving on the campus. Therefore, current students living on campus would not be disturbed for an extended period of time.
Modular construction helps reduce construction costs by 20% and significantly reduces construction time. With lower construction costs and quicker build time, developers are now be able to offer these accommodations to students at a lower price.
“Modulars control costs and provide economies of scale,” Jelani Rucker, vice president of marketing and business development, Zekelman Industries, tells GlobeSt.com. “There is already a time crunch with students coming back to school. With modulars, the work is done at a warehouse so the install at the construction site is pretty easy. Everything ships complete including furniture, depending on the project. This alone provides a quicker turnaround.”
Z Modular utilizes a self-bracing structural system that allows for more factory completion. This helps to reduce the cost of design, fabrication and building assembly with fully finished modular buildings.
Zekelman Industries includes the operating divisions of Atlas Tube, Picoma, Sharon Tube, Wheatland Tube, Western Tube and Z Modular. It is a manufacturer of hollow structural sections and steel pipe, and a producer of couplings, and electrical conduit and elbows.