Out of the Box: The Modules, a student housing development by Interface Studio Architects, flaunts its construction method as it makes a case for well-designed prefab.
The Modules want you to know how they were built. A privately owned student apartment building a few blocks from Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia, the project touts its prefabricated construction in its branding: In its lobby and lounges, photomurals show a construction crane neatly stacking the 90 boxes that house its 72 units. “Prefab isn’t something that needs to be invisible,” says Brian Phillips of Interface Studio Architects, who designed the project. “It’s something that adds real value that people should understand.”
The firm and its client decided to celebrate the four-story, 80,000-square-foot building’s origins because, they say, it makes a strong case for prefab in urban contexts. Like many cities, Philadelphia has notoriously high construction costs and a soft rental market still reeling from the recession. Manufacturing the Modules’ components outside the city saved on labor expenditures, while simultaneously building the structure’s concrete-and-steel plinth shortened the time line. The firm went from the early design phase to occupancy in about 14 months, delivering a building that cost $137 per square foot in time for the next academic year. “This is not one of those ornamental modular projects that have intellectual appeal but are very expensive,” says Phillips. “We needed efficiencies, so we used the same technology as prefab buildings everywhere.”
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.