Modular Apartments- Why? What am I missing here?

[Chris Blackburn]

 We are looking at putting together  a simple, repeatable, improvable, standardized, simplified, optimized, economized multifamily project designed to be modular.   A 13' 8" by 30' or 40' module built at a set location as the base for a multifamily module.  Yes- we know about OS, or Guerdon  or Katerra or Palomar or Blokable.  I am not concerned about saving Seattle's $350 a foot price for their apartments (low end).  I am looking for the Model T of apartments.  The same building, the same layout, the same fixtures, the same sq footage, the same parking lot, the same on site detention.   Every building rolling out the same in the name of affordability.  Yes- these units are smaller- they have to be to ship via truck.   Stagger them so you do not have an ugly flat relieve reminiscent of a beautiful mobile home- yes.   Design them around the dimensions which work best with the simplifying assembly- yes.   If your site is not flat and a minimum of 1 acre- then go and find another solution.  We need turnkey 3 story buildings that can be built like Henery Ford would.  These units built in a factory- Stacked on site and put together in 5-8 months instead of the 12+ months we seen in the past.   Price to build should be all in at $125,000-$150,000 per door or $120-$150 per foot.   I am NOT talking about building these in Portland, Seattle, Lake Oswego (Sorry @Jay Hinrichs;)) or Vancouver.   We have thousands of great renters wanting affordable housing either through market rate, affordable, hero (I do not like this term), work force, section 8 (soon to be rebranded).  Responsible capitalism can provide all of this and more, plus jobs, plus growth, plus stability.   There is so much opportunity here.  Let's sit down and share the solution- the worst we could do is provide amazing housing for all those people that make America great.

Ok- I am getting off my soap box.   I seriously think that a solid, repeatable design could change our current paradigm.  Everyone of the "Modular" apartment projects I have seen is about as efficient as a hand built Ferrari.  How would Henry Ford provide housing for the common man?

 Please feel free to roast me or maybe even add to the solution.

Sincerely

Chris Blackburn

Clutch Industries, NWRInc, Clutch Bowling, Inookusa.com

Salem, OR