| Modular homes are playing a crucial role in | | | | built homes in New Orleans, one of the areas |
| speeding disaster recovery in areas hit hard | | | | hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. Architects |
| by recent disasters, including Hurricane | | | | are working with modular home designers in |
| Katrina. Because of the speed of | | | | New Orleans to create homes and buildings |
| construction, durability of construction, | | | | that emphasize the cities historical and |
| advanced engineering and lower costs, | | | | cultural roots, as in the famous French |
| builders are increasingly turning to modular | | | | Quarter of the city. Area builders say that |
| construction to replace what so many people | | | | modular construction is particularly cost |
| lost and to establish structures that will | | | | efficient for them because of the high cost |
| better-stand the forces of severe weather in | | | | and short supply of labor and materials for |
| the future. | | | | on-site rebuilding. |
| | | | |
| Modular homes, also called systems built | | | | Modular homes are constructed in pieces in |
| homes, were long misunderstood by government | | | | controlled factory environments. The pieces |
| oversight agencies and the general public, | | | | are then shipped to the site where they are |
| often confused with "manufactured homes" and | | | | assembled. Because the pieces need to be |
| mobile homes. However, perception has quickly | | | | shipped, they are built much stronger than |
| changed as the affordability, energy | | | | traditional site built homes, using ten to |
| efficiency, durability and speedy | | | | fifteen percent more construction materials |
| construction of modular homes has become more | | | | than are normally used. These safety benefits |
| publicized and understood. | | | | are passed on to the homebuyer, which is |
| | | | especially crucial in areas susceptible to |
| "Many people thought that modular homes were | | | | hurricanes and other severe weather |
| little more than cookie-cutter manufactured | | | | situations. |
| mobile homes," says Grant Smereczynsky, CEO | | | | |
| of Building Systems Network, a nationwide | | | | Modular homes are more energy efficient that |
| provider of custom-designed modular homes. | | | | traditional homes, leading the way in the |
| "But this assumption could not be further | | | | green building movement, and are constructed |
| from the truth. In reality, modular homes are | | | | in weeks rather than months, reducing the |
| meeting housing needs nationwide, both for | | | | interest and number of payments on |
| affordable, high-quality housing and for an | | | | construction loans, thus reducing the overall |
| expedient solution to help those displaced by | | | | cost to the homebuyers. Since modular home |
| hurricanes and other natural disasters. They | | | | builders provide 80 to 85 percent of the |
| are not cheaply built manufactured homes, but | | | | home, the buyer avoids the risk of giving |
| are engineering marvels that are stronger, | | | | money to a builder and not having the home |
| more energy efficient and more cost effective | | | | built to their specifications, or of having |
| than traditional site built homes." | | | | their price inflated by numerous change |
| | | | orders. All of these savings make modular |
| Builders throughout the Southeast, in areas | | | | homes a perfect solution for people trying to |
| hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina, are using | | | | rebuild their lives and need all the |
| modular homes to rebuild cities and replace | | | | financial resources they can spare. |
| the government issued trailers that have | | | | |
| served the residents as temporary housing | | | | Additionally, unlike modular homes, |
| since the disaster. Builders in Mississippi | | | | site-built homes are exposed to unfavorable |
| and Alabama have recently announced modular | | | | weather conditions during the construction |
| home designs that can withstand 150 - 160 MPH | | | | process, making the home vulnerable to water |
| wind speeds. | | | | or weather damage, and increasing the costs |
| | | | of the project by adding additional materials |
| Modular homes are being built at an average | | | | and replacement components. |
| cost that is 20% less than traditional site | | | | |