As the student population rose at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., so did the demand for housing. Because residence officials at the school needed to have a new dormitory in place for the upcoming academic year—and use a method in line with the school’s focus on sustainability—modular construction was the logical choice for one of two dorms on campus.
“After visiting other campuses, we decided a modular style project was the correct approach,” said Tom Kane, director of University Housing.
By using modular, the university was able to open a dorm a full year earlier than a similar dorm built at the same time with traditional construction. The traditional dorm, a 333-bed suite style hall, opened in August 2012. The modular facility, a 460-bed complex, was finished in just nine months and was ready for students by August 2011.
Even though the project was completed quickly, construction was not without challenges.
“Coordinating the transport of the units to the site without interrupting traffic on campus was a concern from the very beginning because of the sharp turn and incline entering the site,” said project manager Dustin Hunter of Hunter Saak Modular. “Safety was our number one concern from the very beginning.”
Once finished, Mountaineer Hall became a beautiful home for students. The 97,000-sf, brick-exterior facility features two-person hotel style rooms with individual bathrooms for increased student privacy. Common areas on each floor lend a feeling of community between the residents.
Not only is the dorm attractive and comfortable, it is LEED Gold certified. The facility received a total of 68 points based on its energy-saving and sustainability features. (Sixty-five points are needed to receive Gold certification). LEED-certified homes complete a technically rigorous process that often includes a home energy (HERS) rating and onsite inspections to verify that the home is built to be energy and water efficient, environmentally sound and a healthier place to live.
The building’s energy and water conserving features include energy-efficient, tinted windows and a 40-panel solar thermal system to provide hot water.? Site stewardship involved erosion control measures taken during construction, landscaping and storm water controls.
Mold-resistant drywall was used throughout the entire building, improving future indoor air quality. The same type of drywall was placed throughout the building to reduce the amount of drywall waste.
Pre-built floor assembly was utilized at the factory to lessen production time. Identical boxes with an average size of 12- x 64- x 10-ft allowed for shortened production and installation time. The dormitory was 80 percent complete when it arrived on site, lessening the time spent on trim work and finishing on site.
All utility chases were designed to be accessed from the building exterior, eliminating unnecessary down time when crane setting the units. The modules were set and sealed in 12 days.
With its outstanding design features, Mountaineer Hall received Honorable Mention in the Permanent Commercial Housing: Over 10,000 Square Feet category in the Modular Building Institute’s 2012 Awards of Distinction. The modular contractor on the project was Hunter Saak Modular with affiliates Clayton Building Solutions and R&S Tavares.
For more information about the project, visit Hunter Saak Modular.
The Modular Building Institute (MBI) is the international non-profit trade association serving the modular construction industry. Members are suppliers, manufacturers and contractors engaged in all aspects of modular projects from complex multi-story solutions to temporary accommodations.
As the Voice of Commercial Modular Construction, it is MBI's mission to expand the use of offsite construction through innovative construction practices, outreach and education to the construction community and customers, and recognition of high quality modular designs and facilities. To learn more about modular construction, go to www.modular.org. +
Related Stories
| Aug 20, 2014
WELL Building: The next step in green sports construction
The WELL Building Standard, a new protocol that focuses on human wellness within the built environment, is a particularly good fit for sports facilities, write Skanska's Tom Tingle and Beth Heider.
| Aug 20, 2014
Seattle's King Street Station thoughtfully restored [2014 Reconstruction Awards]
After years of neglect and botched renovations, King Street Station sparkles once again.
| Aug 20, 2014
Tour an office with no assigned workstations [slideshow]
The New York office of the Gerson Lehrman Group recently redesigned its office without personal desks or cubicles. The company gave each of its 250 employees a locker, a laptop, and told to work anywhere they wanted, according to Business Insider.
| Aug 20, 2014
Architecture Billings Index reaches highest mark since 2007
The American Institute of Architects reported the July ABI score was 55.8, up noticeably from a mark of 53.5 in June.
| Aug 19, 2014
Goettsch Partners unveils design for mega mixed-use development in Shenzhen [slideshow]
The overall design concept is of a complex of textured buildings that would differentiate from the surrounding blue-glass buildings of Shenzhen.
| Aug 19, 2014
HOK to acquire 360 Architecture
Expected to be finalized by the end of October, the acquisition of 360 Architecture will provide immediate benefits to both firms’ clients worldwide as HOK re-enters the sports and entertainment market.
| Aug 19, 2014
A designer's epiphany: 'Let's stop talking and make something'
Making things is important because it reveals gaps in thought, sheds light on the fundamental assumptions that can kill ideas, and forces us to push toward solutions that actually work, writes HDR's David Grandy.
| Aug 19, 2014
Construction boom lures new class of lenders in Nashville, says JLL
In the coming months, a gleaming S-shaped tower will join Nashville's burgeoning skyline. The new tower is just one example of a project financed not with conventional construction loans but with a unique blend of equity and debt.
| Aug 18, 2014
Perkins+Will expands planning practice with strategic focus on underserved U.S. communities
The broadened focus is resulting in comprehensive, long-term plans that will guide new growth in places like Buffalo, N.Y., Kingston, R.I., and Brooklyn, N.Y.
| Aug 18, 2014
SPARK’s newly unveiled mixed-use development references China's flowing hillscape
Architecture firm SPARK recently finished a design for a new development in Shenzhen. The 770,700 square-foot mixed-use structure's design mimics the hilly landscape of the site's locale.
