Build with Modular Construction Blog

Ron Powell, President of Manufacturing, Palm Harbor Homes, Inc., talks about Palm Harbor’s commitment to strong, efficient, green modulars

• Why has Palm Harbor become a leader in building strong, energy efficient modular homes?

Palm Harbor’s motivation to exceed commonly accepted standards of strength and energy efficiency comes from its foundational belief that that our homeowners deserve homes that exceed their expectations. Most people consider their mortgage, property taxes, and homeowner’s insurance to be part of the cost of home-ownership, while neglecting the very real costs of maintenance and utilities. Palm Harbor has always chosen to focus on minimizing both of these, allowing our customers to own more home than they would have been able to own otherwise. This is our value proposition to our homeowners. Palm Harbor will provide a strong, tightly built home that will save you money on energy costs and repairs so you can use that savings on what homeowners really want - more square footage or customization.

Besides being the right thing to do for our customers, a focus on strong, efficient homes is the right thing to do for the environment. Building to high levels of energy efficiency helps conserve natural resources, while building more durable homes reduces the impact of scrapped building materials on landfills.

• Why did Palm Harbor choose to partner with ENERGY STAR^® in the mid 80's?

Because Palm Harbor was already building homes to standards beyond code requirements, partnering with ENERGY STAR almost 20 years ago was a natural step. Florida's hot, humid conditions made our Plant City, Florida, manufacturing operation the perfect location to establish how far we could go with energy efficiency and green construction. Our Division President, Mike Draper, worked with our Vice President of Engineering, Bert Kessler, to make ENERGY STAR a reality for Palm Harbor Homes. Once the process was established, it was rolled out to Palm Harbor manufacturing facilities nationwide.

Given our long-established focus on energy efficiency, Palm Harbor did not have to make major modifications to assembly lines. However, we did make some minor changes to our construction techniques to better accommodate our duct-leak test procedure, but the adjustments were minor and did not necessitate an extensive investment.

• Did Palm Harbor's ability to customize homes for the modular market make the shift to energy efficient construction easier than for a non-custom manufactured builder?

Because Palm Harbor has always allowed customers to customize their homes, our associates were used to dealing with differences from one home to the next. For Palm Harbor, having a higher energy efficiency as a standard meant that we did not have to sell numerous upgrades. For an assembly line, this makes things easier and more efficient. Additionally, Palm Harbor's construction as it relates to energy efficiency is standardized. Consequently, no matter what customers choose, the basic process is the same.

Recently, one of our homes received the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) first Energy Smart label. This home, the Bimini out of our Plant City, Florida, building center, is rated at 57 HERS based on the Home Energy Rating System index developed by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). This 57 rating means that the home is 43% more energy efficient than the typical new home built today and, at 3,644 square feet, the home has an expected average bill of less than $150 per month for electricity and gas. In contrast, an ENERGY STAR rated home has to only be 15% more efficient The home itself qualifies for National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Award at the Gold Level and is expected to receive its gold certificate once the home is secured on its permanent foundation and the lot is inspected.

• Is the market for energy efficient modular homes on the rise?

Currently, it is difficult to name any market that has expanded in raw numbers. However, green building is well established as a concern for a growing segment of today’s buyers. Consumers are feeling the impact of higher energy prices as well as becoming more aware of important issues such as sustainability and conservation. Educated consumers are focusing on the fact that they can minimize the long-term cost of home ownership with a small investment in energy efficiency when they buy their home and help the environment. Recent efforts by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are aimed at increasing homebuyers' confidence in the energy efficiency and durability of the home they are investing in by providing a national standard that homebuilders can adopt and use.

• Will we see more modular builders adopt energyefficiency and green construction as part of their building practices?

In the past, green building has been more popular in areas of the country that offered significant utility rebates to homebuyers who opted for more efficient homes, even when energy costs were lower. However, with energy prices now rising substantially, green building is being demanded across the country. As potential homebuyers continue to inquire about green building, more builders will adapt their homes to qualify for green construction, modular or otherwise.

Modular companies have a great opportunity to lead this effort. The efficiencies offered by a production line and the natural ability to minimize waste by building in a controlled environment give modular a head start toward achieving high levels of green building and energy efficiency.

Click Here to send us a question about modular construction or tell us about your next project.

Florida Keys, Islamorada, Florida
The Middle Keys Land Trust and Bayview Builders - Jim Saunders

The Middle Keys Community Land Trust and Bayview Homes proudly introduce Woods Corner, Islamorada's newest affordable/workforce housing community. The property consists of 16 two-story system-built homes, each with 3 bedrooms and 2 ½ baths.The homes have been reserved for purchase by the low and moderate income workforce of the Upper Keys. Homes are available for ownership and priced at $130,500 and $190,000.

The property was developed by the Middle Keys CLT, a local non-profit organization dedicated to the creation and preservation of affordable/workforce housing, and was constructed by Bayview Homes, a local builder with extensive local experience. Palm Harbor Homes was chosen as the system built manufacturer. Bayview's comprehensive construction services handled all aspects of permitting and construction. Rick Casey, Administrator of the Middle Keys CLT reports, "I continue to be impressed with the knowledge, experience and professionalism which the Bayview Homes team has regularly demonstrated throughout the project."

The Middle Keys CLT acquired the land, construction financing and is now currently marketing the homes to those working in our community. The project has been possible due to several community partners, including the Village of Islamorada, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation and the Monroe County SHIP Program. Jim Saunders, President of Bayview Homes comments, "This was truly a community based project. The Middle Keys Community Land Trust was impressive and perseverant as the lead on this project. Local sub-contractors were used when possible. The Village building and planning staff, and the Village Council of Islamorada were instrumental to the success of the project."

Bryan Johnson, of Nationwide Custom Homes, was recently honored as one of the Top 30 Under 40 in the Systems Built Industry for 2008. As a recipient of this prestigious award, Bryan is recognized for his outstanding leadership, skills, visibility and influence in shaping the future of housing today.

This award was presented at the Building Systems Councils Dinner at the International Builders' Show in Orlando, Florida, on February 12, 2008. The award is presented by American Home Bank, N.A., and sponsored by NAHB's Building Systems Council (BSC), Home Buyer Publications, Forest Homes & J. Rouleau & Associates.

An independent panel of judges is involved in selecting the winners. These judges include Charles Bevier of Building Systems Magazine, Robert Cantrell of Stone Mill Log Homes and Roger Nelson of Anersen Windows.

Rick Baker, Vice President of Sales for Nationwide Custom Homes, stated, "We could not be more proud of Bryan and the outstanding projects he has won and produced in his region. He has been with Nationwide for 1½ years and in our industry for 8. We see great things ahead for Bryan."

One of the biggest opportunities for maximizing profits in any modular project is the transition from dealer to builder. Without proper planning and coordination, unexpected delays and cost overruns can soak up vital profits on any project. This is especially important in the set. This checklist will help keep your next set on-schedule to keep your costs down.

Every experienced modular builder and developer will agree that a quality set done with few delays is the key to keeping profit in your pocket. Preplanning and communication are the basis for every great set and this checklist will help to keep your project on track.

If you have suggestions to add to this list, please post a response below so we can all learn from your experience.

Click Here to see a 2-minute modular home set in action.

Work is under way on a project replacing blight with 3 houses for people of modest means. They’ve got the land and permits to build the homes and have already started digging. Officials recently began work on three affordable yet stylish houses on Patrick Street. Now they just need to find the homeowners……

Read the full article from the Orlando Sentinel (on February 28, 2008) by Amy C. Rippel

At the 2008 International Builders Show (IBS) in Orlando, Florida, Palm Harbor Homes received the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) first Energy Smart label. The label was placed on the electrical panel box of the Bimini on February 14. The U.S. Department of Energy's Secretary Samuel W. Bodman placed the Energy Smart label on the box while attending the IBS show to launch the Department's Builders Challenge. This challenge calls for builders to construct 220,000 high-performance, energy efficient homes by 2012.

The Bimini is rated at 57 HERS based on the Home Energy Rating System index developed by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). This 57 rating means that the home is 43% more energy efficient than the typical new home built today and, at 3,644 square feet, the home has an expected average bill of less than $150 per month for electricity and gas of less than $150 per month. In contrast an ENERGY STAR rated home has to only be 15% more efficient The home itself qualifies for National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Award at the Gold Level and is expected to receive its gold certificate once the home is secured on its permanent foundation and the lot is inspected.

The Bimini was built in the company's Plant City, Florida, building center. It was one of three homes displayed in the 2008 IBS show by Palm Harbor Homes and Nationwide Custom Homes, a division of Palm Harbor Homes, Inc. Featured as the Green Home, the Bimini is a 3,644 square foot single-family home with three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms demonstrating the latest in green design and products.

"As an ENERGY STAR partner since 1997 and a 2007 Partner of the Year, Palm Harbor Homes was honored to provide the Green Home for the Professional Builder's Show Village. As a participant in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Builders Challenge, it meant a great deal to have U.S. Department of Energy's Secretary Samuel W. Bodman tour our Nationwide home before launching the Builders Challenge and apply its first ever E-Scale sticker to the Bimini," said Ron Powell, President of Manufacturing for Palm Harbor Homes, Inc. "Energy efficiency has always been an important part of the value proposition we provide to our Palm Harbor customers and our efforts to protect the environment."

For information on the Department of Energy's Builders Challenge for homeowners, homebuilders and prospective partners, visit: http://www.energy.gov

Click Here to send us a question about modular construction or tell us about your next project.

Building Better - The Modern Modular Image

Until recently, the modular industry as a whole has experienced mild resistance because of a lack of education on the process and the product. Many confused this construction method with trailers, mobile homes or manufactured homes. And, truthfully, many in the industry did not help this image by using the term "modular" to market an unattractive, boxy home that looked much like a trailer. Many referred to this as a "HUD-ular." Not surprisingly, a homeowner or builder planning to build a modular home in a neighborhood could often expect to be met with active protests from members of the community or the planning or architectural committees.

However, in the last few years, much has been done to educate the public about the capabilities of modern modular housing and remove the stigma that had attached itself to the industry. Primarily, the work of talented architects to develop unique and appealing exterior elevations for modular homes that make them virtually indistinguishable from site built. Since 2003, Tony Lucas, Palm Harbor's own designer, has been putting his years of modular experience to work with builders and developers across the country to create exterior applications and floor plans that are designed specifically for that region, land type, usage and customer lifestyle. As the industry grows, the role of architects will be vital to its maturation and public acceptance as a mainstream home building method.

Public displays in large venues such as the International Builders' Show have also played an important role in exposing the public and homebuilders to the myriad of applications for modular construction in all types of residential and commercial construction. Features such as elevators, gourmet kitchens, luxury master suites and media rooms are commonplace. In addition, modular construction is adaptable to multi-family construction, reducing the cost per square foot, which is particularly appealing for cities, community planners and developers charged with creating much-needed work force housing.

Today, more and more cities, states, zoning boards and building officials are fluent in the aspect of modern modular construction. In fact, many municipalities look forward to working with modular because of the decreased construction time, decreased impact on the surrounding areas of the community and the increased strength and quality of the product.

Modern modular construction provides increased building efficiencies, decreased construction costs and renewable resources. As developers and architects continue to work with modular builders, the industry will continue to expand its capabilities and, consequently, continue to "improve its image." This will permanently erase the last remaining areas of resistance due to a perceived lack of quality or architectural appeal and establish modular construction as the modern version of "traditional construction."

Read more articles in the same series.

Click Here to send us a question about modular construction or tell us about your next project.

First day in the Show Village…

A walk around the Village

The Palazzo: Kitchen


The Palazzo: Master Bedroom

The Palazzo: Master Bathroom

The Palazzo: Great Room

The Palazzo: Media Room

The Palazzo: Wet Bar

See the IBS Show Homes video the day before the show opens. (Homes shown in the clip: Nationwide Custom Homes’ Palazzo, and Palm Harbor Homes’ Bimini and Glenn Cairn)

View our slideshow with more up-to-date IBS pictures

Building Better - By Design

Improved exterior design and interior space are the primary factors to the broader appeal of modulars. With proper architectural consulting, modular construction can be virtually undifferentiated from on-site construction. This adaptability, combined with its affordability, makes modular construction ideally suited for most projects - single family, multi-family, urban in-fill, resort, commercial or workforce housing.

Like traditional stick-built multi-family units, modular multi-family can be up to three stories high without incorporating steel supports. The assembly-line production of factory-built units is particularly well-suited to the narrow, deep units needed for multi-family construction. Similar to single-family housing, multi-family is made by vertically or horizontally stacking the modules. Even the shafts for elevators can be built before the modules are delivered. Because of the savings, code-mandated items such as sprinklers, fire walls and smoke detectors are often installed in the factory and connected between sections on site.

Historically, some have objected to the use of modular construction in urban areas because of its reputation for having a bland, "box-like" exterior appearance. However, working closely with an experienced architect or designer like Palm Harbor's own Tony Lucas to execute appropriate exterior cues and interior space configuration produces modular homes that blend well with existing construction styles or even conform to mandates from historical societies. As an architect, Tony's 30 plus years of working with modular construction allow him to work one-on-one with developers to customize floor plans and elevations for their project. These plans and elevations reflect the spirit of the region and support the living patterns of the targeted homeowner. This careful collaboration between an experienced modular architect and builder with the developer is essential to an attractive, successful modular development.

See a few more of Tony's designs on www.discoverycustomhomes.com and the Bimini and the Glenn Cairn shown at the IBS 2008 show.

Read more articles in the same series.

Click Here to send us a question about modular construction or tell us about your next project.