In Brooklyn's Navy Yard, the largest modular high-rise building in the world is being assembled one floor at a time by teams of 10 to 15 union workers. Sydney Brownstone tours the milestone in modular construction.
"Modular assembly is often compared to the kind of line assembly popularized by Henry Ford's T-Birds, but B2 is actually being constructed by a different process altogether. Instead of individual workers putting together piecemeal parts, FCS Modular and its Swedish partner Skanska decided on using a system called 'group technology workcells,' in which multidisciplinary groups of cross-trained tradesmen work on different parts of the floor simultaneously. It's the same way airplane engines are constructed, Roger Krulak, a senior vice president at Forest City Ratner (FCR), explains."
"Because of innovations like these, FCR claims to have 'cracked the code' to modular building on a new scale," writes Brownstone. "The company says that B2 will be built in 18 months, or two-thirds the time it would take for conventional construction."
Read the full story: New York's Newest Skyscraper Is 32 Floors Of Prefab Apartments That Click Together
State Documents Reveal Woes at Pioneering Atlantic Yards Modular Tower
What was promised as the tallest building in the world built by modular construction is delayed and the subject of lawsuits. State documents, recently made public, describe water damage, tolerance challenges, and unanticipated repairs.
Vacancies Come in All Forms, Even New Affordable Apartments in Brooklyn
A 298-unit, 18-story tower in Pacific Park Brooklyn opened its doors to new renters in various categories of affordability over five months ago. 27% remain empty in the higher income tiers, and unlike market-rate units, the asking rent won't drop.
World's Tallest "Lego" Tower to Rise in Brooklyn
An agreement between Forest City Ratner and NYC's labor unions has cleared the way for the construction of Atlantic Yards's next phase. The 32-story prefabricated apartment building will be the tallest of its kind in the world, reports Matt Chaban.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
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A ‘shady’ deal: Chicagoans rally against planned Amtrak maintenance facility
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FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
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