GOING GREEN WITH MODULAR CONSTRUCTION
Appeal to Campus Constituencies Along with advantages that may apply
virtually anywhere, modular construction may fi t especially well in higher education settings. "It's an excellent choice for a col-
lege and university campus expansion," Snyder says. "Because fewer materials and con-
struction personnel are needed on site and the construction footprint is smaller, it is ideal for a tight building site adjacent to existing structures. The faster construc- tion timeline also means that the un- avoidable disruptions and inconveniences of major construction are over sooner, and the work can often be completed over the summer break when the campus popula- tion is smaller." An interesting possibility is that such
construction can also be used to supple- ment instructional activities. "The hot topic in higher education
today is green jobs," Diffenderfer says. "There is a pretty strong push to expand the value of capital expenditure, and at two- and four-year colleges, that means making the facilities into silent teachers." He says that construction projects based
on green technology and related processes and business cases can be made accessible as part of the ongoing curriculum. "A manufactured building system can
provide learning opportunities for all of a college's programs — from design, to engineering, to business administration," he says. "Bring on the interns!" CPM
Mark Rowh is a Virginia-based freelance writer specializing in higher education and business topics.
STANDING THE TEST OF TIME. A sustainable aspect of concrete is that it is essentially inert; it does not rot, burn, offgas, or rust, and provides durability that signifi cantly outlasts many other building materials, including wood and steel, and it places less stress on our environment to acquire the raw materials than for steel or wood.
30 COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / NOVEMBER 2012
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