Relocatable modular buildings are designed to be reused or re-purposed multiple times and transported to different building sites. They are a practical time and money saving alternative to conventional site-built structures. Portable office buildings have grown in popularity as businesses discover their many advantages.

Modular construction serves a broad client base and can meet the space requirements of governments, schools, retail establishments, medical/hospital providers, restaurants, churches, banks, military facilities, work camps, correctional facilities and more.

When production demands increase, portable buildings can temporarily enlarge a facility without permanently altering or disrupting the building site. In many cases, businesses can quickly expand without going through lengthy budget approval processes that traditional brick and mortar construction often requires.

Portable modular offices can be configured to include independent offices, conference rooms, and large open spaces for cubicles or other partition systems. They can be used as classrooms, sales offices, in-plant offices and general commercial offices. The design and floor plan possibilities are endless.

What Makes Modular Construction Unique?

One distinct advantage to modular construction is that modules are assembled in a factory at the same time site preparation is underway. Plumbing and electrical wiring are pre-installed, and quality control inspections are completed before the modules are delivered to the site for assembly. Modules are 80-90% complete when delivered to the site, which allows for earlier occupancy and reduces costs.

Another unique feature of modular construction is the ability to construct all of the parts simultaneously. In conventional stick-built construction, floors must be in place before walls can be erected, and walls must be erected before ceilings can be added. This is not the case with modular construction. Thanks to new technologies and construction practices, all components are built at the same time and factory-assembled into a building, speeding up completion by approximately 40%.

An Environmentally Friendly Process

The fact that modules are built off-site in a controlled factory environment means that there is far less waste than traditional construction. A study by the Waste & Resources Action Progamme (WARP) in the U.K. found that the use of volumetric (modular) construction has the potential to reduce on-site waste by 90%. The manufacturing process uses less energy and water, and materials waste is controlled with stringent manufacturing controls. Of course, portable buildings provide another way to reduce waste. They can be disassembled and moved to another location, something that simply is not possible with a conventionally built structure.

Modular buildings are help businesses comply with the highest green building standards, including LEED® certification. Most new modular units are built with recycled steel, making them strong, fire-resistant and mold-resistant. The manufacturing process uses less energy and water, and materials waste is controlled with stringent manufacturing controls. Energy-efficient utilities, eco-friendly insulation and no-VOC or low-VOC interior wall and floor treatments can be installed to reduce a building’s environmental impact.

If you have been considering a portable office building to solve an urgent need for more space but are afraid you will be disappointed by a boring, boxy structure, take another look at the innovative “Modular Building of the Month” at the Modular Building Institute’s website to see how far modular construction has come from the old days of flimsy portable classrooms.

Modular medical office buildings can resolve many areas of concern in the healthcare industry when a medical or hospital facility is at capacity and needs more space.

Today’s innovative modular solutions are a cost-effective way to accommodate more patients and provide state-of-the-art treatment facilities in a fraction of the time it takes to construct a traditional brick and mortar building.

Customize standalone suites or install permanent additions to existing buildings. Add office space for administrative staff. Modernize a rehab or imaging center. Move expensive imaging equipment out of the basement and into a convenient facility with the proper technical requirements.

The possibilities are endless. Choose from a wide range of existing designs and floor plans or design a new facility from the ground up.

Modular medical buildings are an ideal turnkey solution for these purposes and more:

• Medical Office Buildings
• Acute Care Hospital Facilities
• Emergency Rooms
• Diagnostic Imaging Centers
• Dialysis Centers
• Outpatient Clinics
• Operating Rooms
• Research Centers
• Wellness Centers
• Skilled Nursing Facilities
• Assisted Living Centers
• Pharmacies
• Laboratories

Adding extra space the conventional “stick-built” way can be a time-consuming and expensive project. Poor weather conditions wreak havoc on construction schedules, and noise, dust and debris on the building site can be very disruptive to patients and visitors. Modular structures can be used when temporary space is required, but can also be used for long-term or permanent space.

An excellent example of an advanced modular healthcare solution is the Park Nicollet Health Services imaging building which won the Modular Building Institute’s 2014 Award of Distinction. A four-module building adjacent to the main clinic was constructed and delivered in 78 days and included radio frequency and magnetic shielding to accommodate MRI equipment, as well as lead lined walls, doors and windows for a CT scanner. Temperature and humidity controls were installed. The facility was able to minimize cost and generate revenue more quickly through an earlier start-up.

Many modular builders, such as Modular Genius in Joppa, MO, have fabrication facilities throughout the country and can build your modules close to the building site to help you meet strict deadlines. When the modules leave the factory, they are about 90% complete and have been engineered so that stairwells, water lines, HVAC, electrical lines, and other systems are already in place. In half the time of traditional construction, modules can be transported to the building site, connected like building blocks, and be recouping your investment.

Modular buildings are also a cost-effective means of complying with the highest green building standards, including LEED® certification. Most new modular units are built with recycled steel, making them strong, fire-resistant and mold-resistant.

The manufacturing process uses less energy and water, and materials waste is controlled with stringent manufacturing controls. Energy-efficient utilities, eco-friendly insulation and no-VOC or low-VOC interior wall and floor treatments can be installed to reduce a building’s environmental impact.

Whether you need a multi-story patient care building, a standalone laboratory, or a complete mobile healthcare clinic, modular construction allows you to quickly improve revenue flow and provide patients with comfortable, modern, well-equipped facilities. Manage your construction budget without sacrificing quality by investigating the many options available today for modular medical office buildings.

What is the first thing that enters your mind when you look for modular office buildings for sale? Drafty trailers that roll around on axles and wheels, or boxy, flimsy and uninviting temporary workspaces?

Think again; technology and construction techniques have progressed to the point that you may not be able to distinguish modular from stick-built.

Modular office buildings use the same high-quality materials, meet the same building codes and are subject to the same stringent inspections as traditionally built structures, but over 80% of it is completed off-site and delivered in sections to the prepared site for assembly.

Countless Design Options

Today, businesses can build modular offices that are both functional and attractive, and blend seamlessly into their surroundings. Choose from a wide range of exterior and interior designs and floor plans. Integrate impressive entrances, customized rooflines, canopies, porticos and unique door and window treatments. Go single or multi-story and finish the exterior in brick, stucco, siding and other architectural surfaces.

The design options are virtually unlimited, and the finished structure is difficult to differentiate from a conventionally built building.

Flexibility

Modules can stand alone as individual buildings or can be combined to create larger structures. While you may have seen one-story modular buildings, consider multi-story structures larger than 100,000 SF, complete with elevators. Expand office space by adding modules as they are needed.

And portable office buildings can be easily moved to another location when necessary, or disassembled and reconfigured or renovated for a different purpose. Cypress Ridge Winery is an excellent example of a successful modular renovation and expansion.

Faster Turnaround Time

The primary difference between a modular building and a conventional stick-built one is the way it’s constructed. The prefabricated modules are built in a factory at the same time that construction site preparations (foundation and grading) are underway.

Plumbing and electrical wiring are pre-installed, and quality control inspections are completed before the modules are delivered to the site at about 80% to 90% completions, ready for assembly like building blocks. Factory manufacturing is unaffected by weather and construction site delays.

Customers can generally occupy a modular building about 50% sooner than a conventional building, which translates to significant savings.

Lower Costs

Builders have been using modular techniques for decades to speed up construction and reduce costs (think pre-hung cabinets, windows and doors). Building, pre-wiring and rough plumbing 80% of a modular structure in a factory eliminates the need for multiple subcontractors on the jobsite. Modular Genius in Maryland, for example, provides complete turn-key services and serves as general contractor for all aspects of the modular construction process from initial drawings to delivery and completion.

Environmentally Friendly

New modular units are often built with recycled steel, making them strong, fire-resistant and mold-resistant, and they are LEED-certified. Factory manufacturing results in less waste and eliminates dust, debris and noise on the construction site. Environmentally friendly enhancements include energy-efficient utilities, eco-friendly insulation, no-VOC or low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) interior wall and floor treatments, as well as automatic sensors for lights and heating systems.

Whether you need a sales office for a single agent or a sophisticated multi-story office building for a complete customer service call center, you will find modular office buildings for sale across the country to provide you with a temporary or permanent space solution.