WASHINGTON DC – Community Three and Rooney Properties laid the foundation stone for the first modular home in Washington DC, Modo.
For the multi-family project, 44 custom modular boxes were lifted into place by a crane after shipping from Pennsylvania. The boxes include 16 of Modo's 17 three-bedroom apartments.
Each three bedroom apartment has built-in closets, shelves, and desks, as well as a pre-installed jumbo flat screen TV.
The development also has a lobby, a single penthouse apartment with a private outdoor terrace and 3,000 square meters of retail space at street level. The property offers an automated access system for smartphone access to both the building and the residential units.
The construction work for the green roof of the building with seating and barbecue areas has now started.
"The design is both trendy and environmentally conscious, and includes highly efficient appliances and air conditioning systems for lower running costs, LED lighting, reclaimed wood floors and environmentally friendly subway tiles," said Dave Yampolsky, SVP of Community Three.
Near Georgia Ave subway station. – Petworth on New Hampshire Ave. Located at 3701, Modo is the former home of the Sweet Mango restaurant.
“The Gen Z market is very environmentally conscious and collaborative. In general, they prefer to have roommates rather than live alone, ”said Grant Epstein, president of Community Three. “They are just starting their careers and need good quality housing at a reasonable cost, but they also value great design and usable outdoor space. Modo's purposeful configuration responds to this need by reducing the high cost of living in a coveted A neighborhood in DC. "
The project took eight days to ship and place the modular boxes. The modules arrived on site, 80% finished.
Epstein adds: “We were looking for more efficient and environmentally friendly alternatives to typical designs. Thanks to the modular structure, the construction time can be shortened by almost a third, while far less construction waste is generated on site. Construction elements that are normally exposed to the elements, such as windows and wooden frames, are built to a higher quality because they are installed indoors. As a result, these modular units provide superior insulation, weather barriers, soundproofing and interior fittings compared to the traditionally constructed units. "
Community Three and Rooney Properties worked with the Modular Mobilization Coalition to select VBC Construction as the modular contractor for the project. VBC Construction also worked with Simplex Homes as the modular manufacturer and Eric Colbert & Associates as the project architect.
Urban Pace will pre-let the apartments from March 2021.
Funding for the project was provided by EagleBank.
Community Three's on-site point site team, Northpoint Construction, began building the project's concrete and steel pedestal in April to support the modular housing units.
“The decision for a modular structure was not made lightly,” says Epstein. “The analysis took more than a year and required acute attention and a thorough understanding of new processes. Working closely with the District of Columbia government in coordinating an inspection process for this type of construction was paramount. "
