Vesta Modular Wins Four 1st Place Awards and Best of Show at Modular Building Institute’s “World of Modular” Conference and Tradeshow

VESTA Modular (the nation’s fastest growing provider of temporary and permanent modular buildings), was honored with 4 first place awards plus Best of Show at the Modular Building Institute’s 2022 World of Modular Conference and Trade show, an open forum for anyone involved in the modular construction industry.

During the awards program, VESTA Modular was awarded the following honors:

1st Place Relocatable Retail: The Club at Flying Horse

Flying Horse Golf Club was looking for a building solution that would serve as a pro shop for their customers and be ready for the start of golf season. Modular was the only option that fit the time and budget for the project. Flying Horse needed a building that would be aesthetically pleasing and functional for their members. VESTA provided a design for an open wide 36’x60’ building with two restrooms that the customer could outfit the retail space with their own counters, tables, and other interior features to coordinate with their existing facilities. The building was set on a concrete slab and finished with outdoor seating and landscaping for a cohesive look. We delivered the modules in December and the project was open for business early March. Flying Horse loves their modular clubhouse, and it has been a hit with their members!

1st Place Relocatable Dorm: The Hill School

The Hill School, a private boarding high school, had an immediate need for additional dormitory space to support a growing student population and plans to renovate existing dorms in the future. Vesta Modular came up with a unique floorpan that housed 28 students, 1 staff room and 1 family staff room with a lounge space, laundry facilities, gang restrooms and a gender-inclusive restroom. The building is approximately 7000 sf, consisting of 14 modules set as a single story. The challenge was the site location, which was overlooking a dell and an underground creek, therefore no work could be done below grade. The school elected to use a site-installed faux ledge-stone skirt around the perimeter to make the building stand out, as well as TREX decking and ramps to match the campus aesthetic. The new “Dellside Dorm” is a space for students to live comfortably so they can focus on their education.

First place Permanent Dorm: Hilda L Solis Care First Village

The Hilda L. Solis Care First Village consists of 232-bed homeless housing units along with a supplemental administration building, using various modular construction solutions. 132-beds were delivered through two 3-story buildings using 66 retrofitted shipping container units. The remaining 100 beds were constructed using 20 temporary style modular wood structures. The administration building was built using a permanent wood framing solution, consisting of 9 modular units. Two modular elevators were fabricated off site and installed for the project. Aside from the typical dense shelters for homeless housing that were rendered inefficient with the ongoing pandemic, this project adopted a design that allows each occupant to have their own living quarters, including a sleeping area and bathroom. Greater than 50% of the units were designed to be ADA compatible.

With time and cost efficiency as the main drivers, a modular design-build method was the ideal way to meet the requirements. The project had various levels of challenges, including taking place during a novel pandemic with ongoing supply chain issues and abrupt shutdowns, on a contaminated site and through major holidays. Project timeline from inception through occupancy took only 6 months, making it one of California’s most unique projects for the type of solution incorporated and timeline to complete. VESTA had to configure a solution that would meet the County requirements while navigating the challenges due to the pandemic. A nationwide search reached a solution that proposed the use of different type of modular construction (retrofitted shipping containers, temporary and permanent wood structures, using three factories in Desoto, TX, Boise ID and Carson, CA) as well as prefabricated elevators from Vernon, IL.

First Place Marketing Piece: Hilda L Solis Care First Village

The Hilda L. Solis Care First Village is an important story to tell. We wanted to ensure the case study highlighted the project from start to finish, focusing on the challenges, process, and solution, as well as the positive impact it had on the community. The project, built on Vignes Street in Downtown L.A., took only five months to complete, despite construction taking place in a busy metropolitan area during the COVID-19 pandemic. The result of the collaborative effort between VESTA, L.A. County, and the design and construction teams resulted in 232 full-service dwelling units utilizing permanent and temporary modular structures. Using photos and graphics, this marketing asset allows us to communicate the scope, budget, and timeline of the project in a visually appealing way. We hope that the success of this project resonates with potential customers, and we can replicate this solution in other areas across the United States that are impacted by homelessness.

Best of Show Permanent Modular: Hilda L Solis Care First Village

To build 232 dwelling units using traditional construction, the cost of the project would have been much higher. At the 2019 average cost of $531,373 to construct a living unit with site-built methods, this 232-unit project would have cost $123,278,536. The average cost per unit for the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village was around $245,689 — less than half the cost compared to traditional construction. Adding to the societal benefits of supportive housing is the benefit to the taxpayer. For each person experiencing chronic homelessness, taxpayers pay an average of $35,578 per year. The annual cost of supportive housing for one person is around $12,800. The financial benefits are numerous and defined. The approach of the project provides a scalable solution and repeatable model for mitigating the homelessness crisis across the United States.

About The Modular Building Institute (MBI)

The Modular Building Institute (MBI) is the international non-profit trade association serving the commercial modular construction industry for over thirty-five years. As the Voice of Commercial Modular Construction™ MBI promotes the advantages of modular construction while advocating for the removal of barriers that limit growth opportunities.  Through its long-standing relationships with member companies, policy makers, developers, architects and contractors, MBI has become the trusted source of information for the commercial modular construction industry. For more information on MBI, please visit Modular Building Institute.

We are so honored to have our work acknowledged by MBI, and look forward to joining next year’s World of Modular Conference and Tradeshow!