Modular Technology Superior to Site Building, Office Developer Says

Genesis Homes, a member of the Champion family of builders, was chosen to provide construction services for a 7,648-sq. ft.-commercial office project in Sheridan, Wyo.

Developer Lisa Rice said she disregarded site-built options, “Because there were additional costs that would have made the project not financially feasible.”

Using Genesis modular units also “saved quite a bit of time,” she added. “I was able to call upon the expertise and assistance of the Genesis team to complete the project from start-to-finish in about nine months.”

Genesis was able to assist in the design, saving money and development time right from the start. For the Sheridan project, the design team at Genesis Homes of Colorado supplied drawings and redesigned plans for Rice’s office building to meet her two tenants’ needs.

“We worked together with Lisa to meet her site needs in a way that fit within Genesis Homes of Colorado’s manufacturing parameters,” said Amber Sterkel, program manager for Genesis Homes of Colorado. Genesis also coordinated the delivery, on-site installation and finish of the building, where even more time savings were realized. Since approximately 80% of the structure’s construction occurred in a tightly-controlled manufacturing facility, site construction, deliveries, traffic and skilled labor required at the job site were dramatically reduced, shaving project timelines by up to 33%. Stucco and porches were added on site, as part of the finish work.

“Genesis modular is an ideal building process for developers of commercial projects,” said Kevin Flaherty, vice president, sales and marketing for Genesis Homes. “A shorter construction timeline means the revenue flow begins earlier.”

The office building is of a design typical to the Mountain-west region. It has separate entrances for the two tenants and a unique loft area. The smaller office, at approximately 3,400 square feet, is home to an engineering firm, and the larger, at approximately 4,200 square feet, houses state-level offices of a national non-profit. Both offices contain kitchen/lounge areas, conference rooms, reception and storage areas, as well as a number of enclosed offices. Open work areas and a “bull pen” were incorporated into the floorplan of the engineering firm.



“Using Genesis modular to build my office building was definitely easier than traditional site-built construction,” said Rice. “I’ll definitely consider using Genesis again.”