Modular Building Projects Recognized

The Modular Building Institute (MBI) recently announced the winners of its Awards of Distinction contest, which reviews commercial modular building entries submitted by MBI member companies—judging them in the areas of architectural excellence, technical innovation, efficiency and length of project.

This year’s contest garnered 110 unique entries with modular buildings as diverse as a 70,000 square foot Olympic athletes’ village to a 57,600 square foot high school. The highlight of the contest is the Best of Show category, where awards are conferred by industry peers for what they collectively recognize as the best modular structures in the business.

This year, companies competed in the following categories related to construction. The Best Of Show winning projects are:

  • Permanent Modular: Britco Structures for Whistler, BC Olympic Athletes’ Village (shown here)
  • Temporary Modular: Modular Genius, Inc. and Mobile/Modular Express for Festevents at Town Point Park in Norfolk, VA
  • Renovated Reuse: Pac-Van for Pirate’s Cove Restaurant & Bar in Needles, CA
  • Green Building Design: Williams Scotsman for High Tech High in Chula Vista, CA (shown here)

The Judges’ Choice Award, given to the highest scoring entry, went to Innovative Modular Solutions, Inc. and Whitley Manufacturing Co. for their Old Redford Middle School project in Detroit, MI.

Permanent Modular: BC Olympic Athletes' Village
Permanent Modular: BC Olympic Athletes' Village

Meanwhile, ModSpace won first place for MBI’s Award of Distinction for a permanent healthcare construction project—the Nash Imaging Suite in Rocky Mount, NC.

Green Building Design: High School in Chula Vista, CA
Green Building Design: High School in Chula Vista, CA

MBI also gives an Outstanding Achievement Award annually to an individual in honor of their special contribution and service to the commercial modular construction industry, as well as Hall of Fame Awards, to recognize the contributions of those whose careers are dedicated to the industry. The winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award was Michael Mount of Sunbelt Modular. Hall of Fame Awards were given to Michael Slataper of Ramtech Building Systems, Inc. and Joseph Donegan of Williams Scotsman.

Student Green Building Design

This year, MBI also sponsored a student green building design competition as part of the Awards of Distinction contest, administered by the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). The program challenged students to learn about modular building techniques and systems in the design of a modern and sustainable Miami Beach hotel.

MBI's Student Green Building Design Winner, an exoskeleton based on shipping containers
MBI's Student Green Building Design Winner, an exoskeleton based on shipping containers

The first place winner of this competition was the Modular Shipping Container Project 2 by Dion J. Dekker of Cal Poly State University. The concept behind Dekker’s idea (shown here) is that a recycled shipping container is like a muscle, sliding along tracks attached inside an exoskeleton structure, creating reconfigurable spaces throughout the entire hotel. These reconfigurable spaces can be combined from single containers into larger spaces, transformed into circulation paths, and relocated as deep shading devices for outdoor events.