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UrbanCore Development President and CEO Michael Johnson has seen the building method's potential firsthand on a couple of occasions. The Oakland-based developer has completed two projects using modular construction, including its Coliseum Connections project in East Oakland , and achieved "around 10%" hard-cost savings, Johnson said. While 10% might not sound like much in the Bay Area, the world's most expensive place to build as of last year , Johnson said it can go an especially long way in getting crucial lower-income housing to pencil. "We are absolutely in need of trying to tighten up on costs, and if modular can provide some of that to help to deliver more housing, particularly in affordable, mixed-income or moderate-income housing, that's where some of the focus can be," he said. Modular specialists, too, see a clear application. "If you're looking at other markets around the country, you're building something for $150 per SF, whereas in the Bay Area it's $400," Z-Modular Senior Project Executive Christopher Schmidt said. "I mean, it's just crazy how expensive it is in the Bay Area for production." A challenge with modular construction is that a development must be a modular project from the beginning or very early on, according to Clark Pacific Project Executive Greg Otto . Bisnow
Clockwise from top left: Clark Pacific Project Executive Greg Otto, UrbanCore Development President and CEO Michael Johnson, Bisnow West Coast Vice President Mike Guimond, Synergy Modular CEO Justin Stewart and Z-Modular Senior Project Executive Christopher Schmidt. "It's important that the modular or pre-fabrication doesn't come late in the process and it's the pivot somehow to save money, [as if] it's the miracle that's going to come and save your project," Otto said. "You've got to plan the project at the beginning." Another challenge is the need for coordination, especially between on-site and off-site teams and workers with differing levels of experience doing modular construction, panelists cautioned. "You need an experienced team," Synergy Modular CEO  Justin Stewart said. "We have a rule on a project that there can be one team member that isn't experienced with modular. Otherwise, if there are two, they'll gang up on the others and make bad decisions." "You have to build the right team," Johnson said. "The word 'coordination' is amplified when you're doing a modular project." As modular construction becomes more common, Johnson said other challenges will arise. Though UrbanCore worked with Idaho-based Guerdon on its Oakland project, Johnson said those arrangements could become potentially less likely if local unions disagree with them. Partnerships like the one struck by Vallejo-based modular builder Factory OS and the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council are  an example of where things could head, panelists said. "We have to find ways to build, not cheaply, but less expensively than we are now, because $500K per unit is way too much," Johnson said.

Builders Look To Modular As A Way Around Bay Area Construction Costs

FullStack Modular – Prefabricated & Modular Construction
When dangerous viruses spread rapidly, city authorities have to be ready to construct new hospitals, shelters or infrastructure objects much faster. Thanks to prefabricated, preassembled, modular, and off-site construction practices, cities save a lot of time in setting up essential and temporary infrastructure. In addition, the manufacturing takes place away from the location site of the building, decreasing dependence on weather conditions. Moreover, such solutions require a lower number of workers to safely continue construction away from big cities, thereby increasing public safety. The US-based startup FullStack Modular applies lean design-to-build processes and off-site modular construction techniques to increase control, predictability, and speed-to-market of the process, with fewer onsite workers. FullStack Modular’s approach allows acting rapidly when the demand for new shelters and buildings in cities arises amidst crisis times. Sickweather – Sickness Mapping
Generally, it is essential for cities to stay well-informed about the status of any diseases occurring in it, from the seasonal flu to the coronavirus pandemic. Cities apply continuous monitoring & verification algorithms collected from various sources by employing sensors. In sum, the data from these sensors provides extract localized insights to map the spread of diseases, develop protection strategies and prompt citizens to take required actions. The US-based company Sickweather combines patented social media monitoring algorithms, crowdsourcing data, and third-party sales, demographic, and clinical information to create real-time health maps for any region. Sickweather’s engine is capable of predicting outbreaks of the seasonal flu and similar illnesses in advance, as well as informing individuals and authorities about high-risk zones. AiFi – Autonomous Stores
During pandemics, cities need to motivate their residents to shop by exercising as much social distancing as possible. Autonomous stores usually employ the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), human action recognition, QR or RFID codes, smart cameras and sensors, intelligent shelves and labels, as well as self-checkout for customers. This technology allows for cashier-less settlements, improves user experience, and eliminates queues, thus, enabling less human interaction during epidemics. The US-based startup AiFi develops NanoStore, an automated modular checkout-free shop that requires no staff and operates around-the-clock. The solution incorporates edge computing, scalable sensor fusion, computer vision, and smart payments to enhance customer experience, as well as guarantee no people in lines and delays. Electorate – Online Civic Services
With the rise of GovTech, numerous novel and simple solutions for cities to better engage with their citizens exist. Moreover, the importance of online civic service technologies increases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Powered by e-services, online voting, and digital community debates, the technologies aim to uphold a constant chain of communication between government and communities during crisis time, or even otherwise. Finnish startup Electorate works to foster participatory democracy in cities and municipalities. Their solution encourages a transparent and digitized relationship between individuals and city councils. In addition, the solution gamifies civic feedback and debates to enable informed decision-making from the comfort of a citizen’s home. GRONSKA – Indoor Farming
Despite being on lockdown, citizens need access to regular and healthy food supplies. Vertical farms, aquaponics, and contemporary sustainable agriculture practices such as urban indoor farming, allow for growing and distributing eco-friendly fruits, vegetables, and groceries from inside cities. Besides saving a lot of space that is usually required for agriculture, this also contributes to an increase in the number of small urban nurseries that crop up all over a city. Swedish startup GRONSKA utilizes climate-independent vertical farming techniques and hydroponic water management to ensure sustainable indoor production of vegetables. This eliminates the issues associated with pesticides and deforestation. GRONSKA grows and delivers vegetables and herbs over Stockholm year-round. Senssight – Smart Surveillance
To halt the spread of dangerous pandemics, urban inhabitants have to follow country- and city-wide social distancing regulations. Today, cities utilize smart surveillance systems that benefit from the power of the internet of things (IoT), AI, and real-time video analytics to monitor patterns and anomalies in human behavior. Furthermore, they assist in detecting and punishing individuals who routinely ignore rules, especially during a quarantine. French startup Senssight designs and develops complex surveillance systems that combine infrared camera hardware with powerful thermal vision algorithms. The solution recognizes and counts people in queues, shops, and public places to identify any trends and violations, in addition to providing real-time data and analysis. Telebeacon – Location-Based Systems
When the number of confirmed infection cases accelerates, cities have to go further and implement special location-specific policies. Through geofencing, beacons, or real-time location systems that are enhanced by wearables, cities track self-isolation compliance in certain areas and receive alerts on any breach. Besides, location-based systems are capable of tracking doctors or first-responders working in regions that see an outbreak of a virus. Indian startup Telebeacon creates location-based systems that consist of plug-and-play motion & vibration beacons, remote monitoring, and global positioning system (GPS) algorithms. Using proximity control and automated alerts, their system manages security in airports, hospitals, and streets, among others. Besides, their tamper-proof wearable tags ensure that infected individuals do not escape, or roam around unchecked, from their specified areas. How To Flatten The Curve? This is an unprecedented situation for many of us across the world. The SARS outbreak in the early 2000s claimed 774 lives. That toll was enough to drive research & development and easier healthcare solutions. The fact that several mobile health, e-health, diagnostics, and remote health startups and companies are able to respond during a real epidemic is encouraging. With tens of thousands of deaths already, we expect to see numerous new companies offering technology-driven solutions to help doctors, nurses, other health workers, and the larger public. City Lockdown Management: Startup & Emerging Company Database
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Factory-based construction is on the rise, and housing is proving to be its testing ground. There are a few reasons for this — replicable housing modules in multifamily projects, the demand for and feasibility of high levels of energy efficiency in small residential footprints, and the early involvement of owners who can be guided toward (or even lobby for) novel construction methods. Companies emerging in the space are playing to those desires. One outcome of the trend is that they are expanding use of the construction method among production builders, multifamily developers and ultra-sustainable homebuilders alike. Here are three companies to keep an eye on. FullStack Modular
Former Forest City Ratner exec Roger Krulak wants to take modular to new heights — literally and figuratively. His company, FullStack Modular , was formed from the assets of Forest City’s modular business unit. The Cleveland-based developer sold those operations , including the lease to its 100,000-square-foot production facility in Brooklyn, NY’s Navy Yard, to Krulak last fall after completing a 32-story, 363-unit residential high-rise in Brooklyn. That building, 461 Dean, was mired in construction delays and litigation , turning it into one of the city’s longest-running projects of its size. Krulak says the project was a learning experience for how an offsite construction startup fits in the existing construction industry, ultimately encouraging him to take a design-build approach with FullStack. Components for 461 Dean were fabricated off site. FullStack Modular
 
FullStack works with GCs and developers as a design-build contractor rather than a sub. “That's a big change, and it allows us to be at the table from day one,” Krulak says. The company is targeting multifamily rental, student housing and hotel projects in densely populated cities that need more affordably priced housing. Key markets for the company today are Portland, OR, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. And it is already working on two hotel projects — eight and 11 stories — in Brooklyn. Potential for growth in offsite is as much about getting more projects in the ground as it is rethinking how the parts of those projects — walls, plumbing, electrical, etc. — are fabricated and assembled. Krulak likens the process to automobile manufacturing. "One of the intelligent ways to expand [offsite] is to either joint venture or build capacity for those sub-assemblies so your factory becomes more of an assembly plant, almost like cars,” he said. “It's more or less a shared-resource environment, so it hedges a little bit more against the economy than if you just increased your factory to a 1-million-square-foot plant with 500 workers." Entekra
Like FullStack, Irish newcomer to the U.S. construction industry Entekra wants offsite companies in the U.S. to be more involved in design and planning, and not merely supply product. Gerard McCaughey, CEO and chairman at Entekra, which runs its U.S. operations out of Ripon, CA, is quick to note that his company isn’t a component manufacturer, nor do they sell a product. “We look at the building from a very holistic point of view,” he says. “What we’re selling is a change in technology. It’s a behavioral change.”
By behavioral change, McCaughey means rethinking how single-family homes are built almost entirely. Under Entekra’s factory-based construction model, components for a 2,500-square-foot house can be fabricated in four hours and assembled on site over the course of four to five days. McCaughey helped found and grow offsite builder Century Homes in Ireland, which was acquired by building materials company Kingspan in 2005. Century had already been mulling an expansion into the U.S., he says, given their success with the offsite method in Europe, where it is more widely used. The move was tabled with the acquisition, but the labor shortage and renewed housing demand in the U.S. revived McCaughey’s interest in making a run at volume-based offsite homebuilding there. “The [U.S.] market knows it needs to change,” he said. “If we ever want to get above 1.2 million housing starts, we need to do something different.”
Getting owners, developers and contractors to bring suppliers like Entekra into the fold from the get-go is critical to the success of offsite in the U.S. But it’s not going to happen overnight. Meeting and setting expectations with building inspectors and the project’s engineers and architects is necessary for local building ecosystems to become familiar enough with the method to use it beyond one-off projects. McCaughey says his company expects assembly of its first U.S. project to be underway by the end of August. Current commitments from five large homebuilders in Northern California could yield more applications soon. And while the company is focused on volume, it is eyeing a specific kind of customer — “not a national but a progressive builder that’s looking for a different way to do things,” he said. Ecocor
One advantage offsite affords is the ability to have more control over construction conditions. That’s particularly important in the ultra-low-energy space where air- and weather-tightness is critical. Searsmont, ME–based Ecocor is using panelized offsite construction for that purpose — specifically, to build high-performance homes with Passive House–certified components and air tightness levels. “The whole concept behind Ecocor is cutting through the technical complexities and allowing normal builders and architects to achieve Passive House levels of performance without having to deal with all the technical difficulties in terms of [factors like] air tightness and thermal bridging,” said Chris Corson, Ecocor’s technical director. Like FullStack and Entekra, Ecocor defines itself as neither a contractor nor a supplier. “We essentially integrate all things Passive House between the architect, builder and general contractor on-site,” he said. Ecocor's new line of prefab houses. Ecocor
 
Eighty-percent of the company’s work is custom. But scaling offsite requires more applications. And those additional applications, particularly in the low-energy space, can be easier to deliver when preset options are available. For that reason, the company is collaborating with Milford, PA–based Richard Pedtranti Architect on a line of 11 prefabricated single-family homes designed to meet a range of aesthetic, regional and size needs. “We're going to be expanding that platform in the future, potentially with other architects as well, following this model, to develop a more comprehensive platform,” Corson said. Where performance is concerned, Ecocor looks to layers. Each home’s weatherization, insulation, air and structural layers are all complete and continuous. The result is a home that, Corson says, uses 80% to 90% less energy than one built using conventional construction methods. "Having dedicated control layers and paying attention to that continuity, you can build a much more robust building. The complexity of air-tightness detailing is corollary to the complexity of the structure," he said. "We can adapt and configure our system to virtually any geometry.”
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NEW YORK, June 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --  FullStack Modular , LLC, the turnkey modular prefabricated solution for developers of multifamily buildings, hotels, and dormitories, announces the closing of a $6 million Series A round of funding. The investment is led by McCourt Global and includes real estate industry leaders Lawrence Benenson, Lloyd Goldman, Jonathan Grunzweig, Jonathan Langer, and Daniel Levene. The funds will be used to scale production of FullStack Modular's 100,000 square foot design and construction facility in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, as well as facilitate company growth with an eye towards expanding to the west coast and abroad. "We are excited to have this powerful group of investors involved in our business," said FullStack Modular CEO and Founder, Roger Krulak. "Our company is transforming the real estate construction business and the way mid and high-rise buildings are created. Our fully integrated design-build process incorporates innovative technologies such as Building Information Modeling [BIM], design for manufacturing, and lean construction management. The result is a process which is faster and more cost effective than conventional building, generates far less waste, enables safer site conditions, and is less disruptive to the surrounding neighborhoods." "Roger and his team at FullStack Modular are bringing innovative technologies and processes to an industry long in need of greater efficiency," said Drew McCourt, President of McCourt Global. "We're pleased to support FullStack Modular as it scales its business and leverages growth opportunities both here in the United States and abroad." About FullStack Modular
FullStack Modular provides turnkey modular solutions for developers of new multifamily buildings, hotels and dormitories. FullStack Modular is dedicated to creating environmentally-conscious, cost-effective, and labor-friendly development. FullStack Modular incorporates the latest innovations in technology and manufacturing to shape the future of the real estate development and construction. The company is located in New York City, in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. For more information, please visit www.fullstackmodular.com or email info@fullstackmodular.com . Media Contact:

FullStack Modular Raises $6 Million in Series A Funding

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FullStack Modular (FSM) is a modular prefabricated solution for developers of multifamily buildings, hotels, and dormitories. Its fully integrated design-build process incorporates technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), design for manufacturing, and lean construction management. The result is a process which is faster and more cost-effective than conventional building, generates far less waste, enables safer site conditions, and is less disruptive to the surrounding neighborhoods.

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Name	Work History	Title	Status
Roger Krulak	Forest City Realty Trust, and vXchnge	Founder, Chief Executive Officer	Current
Matthew Flocks		Chief Operating Officer	Current
Scott Robinson	Macquarie Group, Citigroup, and S&P Global Ratings	Chief Executive Officer	Former

Name	Roger Krulak	Matthew Flocks	Scott Robinson
Work History	Forest City Realty Trust, and vXchnge		Macquarie Group, Citigroup, and S&P Global Ratings
Title	Founder, Chief Executive Officer	Chief Operating Officer	Chief Executive Officer
Status	Current	Current	Former

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