Happy Fourth of July Weekend! At SurePods, we’re proud to be founded, headquartered and operated right here in the United States of America. We have been crafting modular bathroom units for over 15 years, making us the longest producing pod company in the nation. In celebration of Independence Day, we’re highlighting interesting facts about our US-based company and American-made modular bathrooms.

Pods from Coast to Coast

Founded in Concord, MA, in 2004, SurePods is the North American leader of factory-built bathroom pods and has built prefab units for projects from the Southeast to the Northwest. In 2014, we expanded operations and moved our plant to Orlando, FL. In 2021 and beyond, our focus is on helping building teams from coast to coast accelerate construction timelines and de-risk the jobsite with our lean modular bathroom pod process. We’re passionate about supporting our nation’s commercial building growth.

All-American Innovation

SurePods’ innovative factory processes and automated systems contribute to the unmatched efficiency of manufacturing and promote worker wellbeing in our facilities and across the country. For example, handling gypsum in the field typically requires two people. SurePods’ manufacturing plant adds vacuum lifters that require only one person to operate, making it safer and easier for construction employees. By bringing operations indoors, employees also gain exposure to cutting-edge equipment as they refine their craft.

Inclusive, tech-centric construction careers

Thanks to the simplification and enhanced safety features afforded by SurePods’ controlled factory setting and automated systems, the modular construction industry offers more diverse, inclusive and rewarding career paths today than ever before. In fact, while the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 10.3% of America’s construction workers are women, we proudly employ more than triple the industry average – approximately 32% of the SurePods team are women.

If you’re a US-based developer, hotelier or architect interested in American-made modular bathroom pods for your next project, let’s talk. Contact us at [email protected].

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While investors and companies alike are seeing the value of modular as they work to keep projects moving, the pain point of today’s supply chain disruptions and material shortages are also driving demand for offsite, factory-controlled prefab construction.

Modular Construction Trends Toward Growth

On the investment front, Crunchbase recently reported startups in the construction space raised more in the opening months of this year than they did over the entire span of 2020. Roughly $1.5 billion has flowed into these startups since the beginning of 2021.

As pressure surrounding the price and availability of construction commodities such as lumber and gypsum continues to build, so too do the stock prices of modular and prefab construction. With alternative materials boosting productivity and reducing waste, their climbing popularity shows no signs of slowing down. For example, Skyline Champion, a manufacturer of modular homes, has seen an increase of 102 percent over the past year. Here at SurePods, we are on track to hit record breaking sales this year. With more projects in production than ever before, 2021 has been a year like no other.

D.C. Metro Area to See a “New Era of Modular Properties”

Innovation is also ripe across the modular sector as experts seek new technology to make the traditionally slow-to-adapt construction industry more efficient. A case in point, The Washington Post reports Van Metre Homes has partnered with Joseph Wheeler, a professor of architecture at Virginia Tech, in the development of a new modular prototype aimed at producing a “new era of modular properties” in the D.C. metro area.

Having nearly seven decades of housing industry experience under their belt, this North Virginia building company recognizes the benefits of factory-controlled building. By removing the unknown variables typically found in traditional construction (delays, labor shortages, etc.) modular methods place control back in the hands of the builder. Van Metre Homes is set to unveil Wheeler’s prototype, also known as the POWERhaus, in spring 2021.

Big Names Bet Big on Modular

With today’s material shortages, skilled labor woes and supply chain disruptions causing many to rethink traditional building methods, some big names are touting modular construction in an effort to shake up the industry. As Fast Company reports, “a new venture from a company inside Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate is taking on the challenge of creating and scaling modular architecture.” The joint venture between MiTek, a construction software and building services company, and Danny Forster & Architecture, seasoned designers of high-profile modular buildings, hopes to finally make modular mainstream by answering the global demand for more innovative and sustainable buildings.

Here at SurePods, our excitement grows as we continue to see modular processes turn age-old construction methods upside down. New technologies like prefabricated bathroom pods help expedite construction cycles, simplify jobsite sequencing and improve finish quality. To learn more about how today’s innovative modular bathroom pods can help you meet your project goals, contact us at [email protected].

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Founded in New England almost 20 years ago, SurePods has become the North American leader of factory-built bathroom pods. As the demand for modular construction continues to increase, we’re excited to continue bringing speed, simplicity, superior quality and safety to East Coast construction sites and support architects and developers who understand the benefits of prefabricated bathroom pods.

With some of our earliest work stretching down the East Coast, we’re looking back at accomplishments that span from New York all the way down to Florida.

Massachusetts

Prism Apartments, Cambridge, MA

When developing Prism Apartments, Consigli Construction enlisted SurePods to prefabricate bathrooms offsite. Project architects worked collaboratively with the SurePods team to design 159 modular bathroom pods for a variety of the apartment’s layouts, ranging from studios to 2-bedroom units. The project team estimates that prefabricating bathroom pods offsite saved $2,500 per bathroom compared to built-in-place bathrooms and eliminated 10 days of on-site labor per bathroom.

New York

Prospect Plaza, Brooklyn, NY

Opened in February 2016, Prospect Plaza, is a 110-unit low-income housing facility located in Brooklyn, New York. This award-winning project leveraged the advantages of SurePods’ unique manufacturing process to achieve a 94% construction waste diversion. The SurePods team was happy to combine their environmentally conscious manufacturing process with lean design processes to provide Prospect Plaza with 114 bathrooms.

Florida

Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

Opened in July 2011, The Boca Raton Residence Hall at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) marked SurePods’ largest and first dormitory project. FAU enlisted SurePods to prefabricate 700-bathroom units to shorten its construction schedule amid a tight fall deadline. SurePods’ offsite manufacturing and on-time delivery helped to ensure this project’s completion just in time for students arriving in the fall.

If you’re an East Coast- based developer or designer, let’s create something together. Contact us at [email protected].

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SurePods got its start in the Northeast almost 20 years ago, our production plant expanded to the Southeast in the decade following, and completed SurePods projects can be found up and down the West Coast. As modular construction methods continue to gain momentum, we’re excited and eager to continue working with forward-thinking developers who recognize the advantages of bringing speed, superior quality, simplicity and safety to projects with prefabricated bathroom pods.

To showcase the spectacular hospitality, residential and healthcare projects we’ve already been a part of on the Western side of the United States, we’re taking a look back at SurePods’ successes in the Pacific Northwest, Southern California and Colorado.

Washington

Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA

TGB Architects and Skanska USA Building general contractors were the first to partner with SurePods on a “shell and core” building method; the team turned to SurePods early in the design and preconstruction phase to prefabricate bathrooms for Seattle’s Virginia Mason Medical Center. Opened in 2015, the non-profit hospital features 51 SurePods bathroom pods.

Embassy Suites by Hilton, Seattle, WA

The Emerald City’s construction and real estate market has been hot for quite some time, as evidenced by dozens of cranes throughout downtown and the impressive growth of tech companies headquartered on the West Coast. Seattle-based American Life, the developer of the 23-story Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square, enlisted SurePods to prefabricate 282 bathroom units to shorten its construction schedule amid a tight local skilled labor market.

California

LA Live by Marriott, Los Angeles, CA

Opened May 2014, Marriott’s dual-branded Courtyard and Residence Inn LA Live rises higher than 20 stories and is situated in the heart of Los Angeles. To decrease traffic and community disturbances during construction of the property, GBD Architects, SODO Builders and developer American Life elected to have the hotels’ 400 bathroom pods delivered at night.

Wilshire Grand Intercontinental Hotel, Los Angeles, CA

Opened February 2017, the Wilshire Grand Intercontinental Hotel engaged SurePods to prefabricate 698-bathroom pods for the 73-story upscale hotel, which is recognized as the tallest building east of the Mississippi River.

Colorado

Exempla Saint Joseph Heritage, Denver, CO

Over in the Rocky Mountains, Davis Partnership Architects & H+L Architecture enlisted SurePods to prefabricate 440 SurePods bathrooms for Exempla Saint Joseph Heritage, the very first healthcare project to feature modular bathroom pods on the Western side of the United States. The faith-based hospital opened in Colorado’s capital city of Denver in 2015.

Military Barracks, Fort Carson, CO

The Army Corp of Engineers, Mortenson Construction and TranSystems achieved a LEED Gold project certification and earned the National DBIA Award for the military barracks in Fort Carson, Colorado. SurePods was honored to prefabricate 120 bathrooms for the unique multi-unit residential project that opened in 2012.

If you’re a West Coast-based developer, designer or construction industry pro, let’s talk. Contact us at [email protected].

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Here at SurePods, we celebrated Construction Safety Week! During the first week of May, contractors and building industry professionals work together to share resources and highlight the importance of promoting a culture of safety in construction.

As modular and prefab construction continues to gain momentum as a mainstream building method, SurePods’ commitment to de-risking jobsites remains a top priority. Safety Week 2021 focuses on construction safety from a holistic perspective, so we’re taking a look at the advantages offsite prefabrication offers and how SurePods is uniquely positioned to provide safer working conditions:

Well-lit, climate-controlled work environment

All prefabrication takes place in a climate-controlled, sheltered setting free of dangerous rain-slick floors or the merciless overhead sun. Temperatures remain consistent, supporting an ideal climate for doing one’s best work. With the absence of harsh weather conditions, the factory setting offers a more comfortable and predictable work environment.

Operations take place at ground-level

Most modular building takes place at ground-level, which largely eliminates the likelihood of injury caused by overhead debris. According to OSHA’s “Construction Focus Four” training, each hour pulled off-site and done in the factory at ground-level virtually eliminates fatalities from falls and from getting caught between hazards. With 39.2% of construction deaths related to falls and 5.1% of construction fatalities related to crushing, the single-level, pre-fab factory floor is indeed a safer place to build.

Assistance with automation

Like other modular facilities, SurePods’ multitude of automated systems contribute to the unmatched efficiency of the manufacturing process. They also promote worker wellbeing. Tasks that would otherwise require heavy lifting are simplified and made safer with automation. For example, handling gypsum in the field typically requires two people. In plants like SurePods, manufacturers add vacuum lifters that require only one person to operate.

Efficient operations and spacious settings

By reducing the number of floors where construction employees work inside (compared to outside on a vertical construction site), coordinators and managers have improved visibility of employees’ movements and can be quicker to respond to a potential hazard. Modular methods also require fewer hands-on-deck than a traditional jobsite; fewer employees mean there’s less chance of an incident.

Not only do factory-based modular methods stand to protect employees from substantial injuries compared to traditional construction sites, but the de-risked option can also lessen insurance costs for general contracting firms. Want to learn more about the added value of a de-risked jobsite during Construction Safety Week? Get in touch at [email protected].

https://youtu.be/wjv0zkj_c7Y

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Now more than ever, it’s important for manufacturers to support the building industry’s collective goal of using resources more efficiently and reducing material waste. While SurePods is known for its four S’s of prefab – simplicity, safety, speed and superior quality – one equally important benefit is our “silent S,” sustainability. SurePods bathroom pods help save approximately three cubic yards of waste on projects and can result in approximately $500 a month in electricity savings.

But that’s just the start. In honor of Earth Day, we’re highlighting three ways SurePods modular prefab bathroom pods can help reduce a project’s carbon footprint:

Building with recycled materials and reducing material waste: Modular bathroom pod components are largely comprised of steel and wall board – two building materials that can be produced using recycled content. SurePods relies on 100% recycled steel and 97% recycled wall board to manufacture custom bathroom pods. Thanks to precision manufacturing afforded by a factory-controlled setting, correct amounts of material are ordered and unnecessary material waste is largely eliminated. In the instance a project does yield excess material scraps, SurePods is able to repurpose it in other in-house projects.

Using durable, high-quality materials to conserve resources over the long term: In addition to reducing material waste during initial construction, high-quality prefabricated modular bathrooms help building owners conserve resources over the long-term; especially when it comes time to renovate and refresh high-use facilities. SurePods manufactures its bathroom pods using durable materials like a fully waterproof and crack-proof ceiling and USG Fiberock Aqua-Tough interior panels. Such materials provide a solid foundation for future bathroom upgrades and eliminate the need for drywall replacement. Consider the number of bathrooms in multifamily apartments, hospitals and hotel rooms, and how often they are used. By eliminating the need for unnecessary renovations in the short and long term, building materials and resources can be easily conserved.

Leaning on precision manufacturing to improve air quality and energy efficiency: One surprising green building benefit of modular prefabricated bathrooms is its role in improving air quality by reducing the potential for harmful molds. Factory-controlled environments allow for more accurate construction techniques. The Modular Building Institute explains that modular construction can improve indoor air quality because, “the modular structure is substantially completed in a factory-controlled setting using dry materials, [so] the potential for high levels of moisture being trapped in the new construction is eliminated.”

Electrical, plumbing, finishes and everything in between is constructed to exact project specifications offsite. This means that modular bathroom pods built in a factory can have tighter joints and air filtration, which, in application, allows for better wall insulation and optimized energy efficiency. Pods are also purposefully designed with energy-savings in mind. Energy efficient LEDs, low-energy consumption occupancy sensors and water-conserving fixtures, such as low-flow plumbing fixtures, are just a few examples of design features that help conserve resources and energy.

If you think your project could benefit from the green building benefits SurePods offers, let’s talk. To get started, contact us at [email protected].

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What do apartments, university dormitories and assisted living facilities have in common? In most instances, a high volume of repeatable units.

In a recent feature on the rise of modular construction, Building Design + Construction (BD+C) acknowledges that “for developers, the rising cost of traditional construction is intersecting with the shrinking cost of modular, making the latter more appealing than ever.”

This is especially true when it comes to bathroom units, which typically require the complex coordination of hiring and scheduling 8 – 12 construction trades ranging from plumbing, electrical, painting, tiling and drywall. As multi-unit housing developers look to innovative solutions to make up for lost time in 2020, modular methods continue to deliver.

Below are three ways SurePods prefabricated modular bathrooms can support developers and contractors looking to make the most of modular construction for multi-unit housing projects:

Accelerating Construction Timelines

“The basic concepts of modular design are not new,” continues BD+C, noting that prefabrication has “been hailed for decades as a solution to inefficiencies, drawn-out timelines and rising construction costs.” SurePods is known for accelerating construction schedules by 10% or more by eliminating bathroom punch lists, which often results in faster revenue generation for multifamily housing projects – prospective residents can sign leases and move in earlier.

Optimizing Material and Labor Resources

Thanks to the precision manufacturing afforded by a factory-controlled setting, material waste is largely eliminated. Bringing construction indoors to a climate-controlled setting also offers a more comfortable, safer work environment. SurePods’ multitude of automated systems contribute to the unmatched efficiency of the manufacturing process.

Eliminating the Bathroom Punch List

In most multi-unit projects, bathroom reworks account for about 60% of punch lists. Prefabricating bathroom pods offsite not only eliminates the coordination of multiple trades, but also eliminates the enormous risk of damaging previously completed work. This keeps quality high and projects moving.

If you’re a developer or contractor involved in multi-family construction and have a project that would make a great fit for pods, let’s talk. Contact us at [email protected].

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While it goes without saying, the healthcare industry experienced previously unimaginable challenges and demands over the past year. As urgent shifts in priorities directly impacted construction methods, healthcare facilities turned to innovative solutions to meet needs and increase capacities. Building Design + Construction reports that “healthcare, in fact, was one of the few nonresidential building types that showed year-to-year increases in construction spending over the first 10 months of 2020,” according to Census Bureau estimates.

To address the urgent need for flexible space and increase capacity for isolation rooms now and in the future, healthcare leaders and facility managers are increasingly turning to modular building methods for quick, efficient and effective solutions. Prefab manufacturers are rising to the moment and pushing the boundaries of what’s doable, from design and production to delivery and installation. For example, SurePods and its prefab partners DPR Construction and Digital Building Components are able to erect an entire semi-permanent hospital wing in just four weeks.

Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment and a factory-controlled environment, rapidly deployable modular solutions are also well-suited to meet healthcare facilities’ long-term needs. Modular building methods not only provide more control over costs, quality and construction schedules, but also reduce labor and disturbances on existing hospital campuses. Project demand shows healthcare facilities are taking note of these advantages. Case in point, prior to 2020, SurePods had already completed more than 2,000 hospital bathrooms for six different hospitals. By April 2020, more than 1,600 additional hospital bathroom pods were in some stage of production or pre-con for nine new hospitals across the United States. In fact, several healthcare networks have further simplified their construction processes by standardizing SurePods’ patient bathroom designs systemwide.

The healthcare industry’s swift adoption of modular building methods continues to push the boundaries of prefab construction. If SurePods’ modular bathroom pods or rapid deployment solutions sound like a match for your healthcare project, let’s talk. Contact us at [email protected].

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Just as expected, the modular construction industry is going strong in the new year. In January, we outlined a few predictions discussing how modular methods could help building pros mitigate safety risks on the jobsite and accelerate construction timelines. From supporting green building initiatives to creating safer working conditions, below are a few highlights that showcase how the modular prefab method is making a positive impact and helping several industries find success in 2021:

Energy-efficient Starbucks built in just six days

A first-of-its-kind for the coffee retail giant, Starbucks will open a sustainably constructed drive-thru store in Canada using an energy-efficient modular system with near-zero construction waste, according to a recent press release. Assembled and built in less than a week’s time, the store is specifically designed to reduce energy needs for heating and cooling compared to standard construction builds.

According to Construction Dive, other restaurant brands have embraced modular building as a way to cut costs, shave construction time and lower their carbon footprints. Late last year, Chick-fil-A opened its first restaurant built with a modular construction process in just 12 weeks, compared to the typical 23-week average for “scrape and rebuild” projects.

Modular bathrooms to become a mainstay in Season’s Retirement Homes In just a few months, 147 SurePods bathrooms will be heading to St. Catharine’s Seasons Retirement Community, a new assisted living facility opening in Ontario, Canada. To ensure the bathroom pods were perfectly designed for St. Catharine’s residents, the materials and fixtures were carefully selected by the Season’s Retirement Homes design team.

In the development of future retirement communities, Season’s Retirement Homes will enlist SurePods to deliver beautifully designed bathroom pods for seamless “plug-and-play” installs. The code-compliant pods offer the added value of cost certainty and de-risking jobsites, in addition to offering quality, consistent bathroom facilities to residents across Season’s Retirement Homes’ entire portfolio.

Take a video tour of the Season’s Retirement Pod:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R53mstD22D8

National news segment explores “How Modular Construction is Shaking Up the Industry”

Informally referred to as the “CNBC for millennials,” post-cable TV network Cheddar breaks down the modular construction process for its viewers and explores how modular building methods offer solutions to address several factors the construction industry currently faces.

Ayall Schanzer, Chief Strategy Officer, iBUILT, points out the economic advantages that modular construction presents, including helping offset rising materials costs and addressing the construction industry’s skilled labor shortage. He also discusses how modular building methods are helping the construction industry overcome several new challenges presented in 2021, noting that “off-site manufacturing provides an alternative and eliminates a lot of the risk and a lot of the costs associated with traditional onsite construction.”

At the end of the segment, the news anchor calls modular building “almost like [it’s] the trifecta,” with respect to its ability “lower construction and operating costs in addition to [speeding up] construction in the process.”

Ready to take advantage of the modular benefits for your next project? Let’s talk. Our prefabricated bathrooms can shave 2-4 months off construction timelines. If SurePods’ modular bathroom pods sound like a match for your next project, let’s talk. We have a checklist of technical issues we review with the project team based on our extensive experience to make projects seamless. To get started, contact us at [email protected].

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Building design professionals are all too familiar with the complications associated with having multiple points of contact during the construction process. And when it comes to bathroom design and construction, these complications can seem exaggerated. Electrical, plumbing and finishing work – ranging from drywall to painting – can require up to 10 construction trades working in an area of about 50 to 100 square feet. Scheduling, miscommunication and onsite reworks can inevitably lead to construction delays, which can adversely affect a building’s target opening date and revenue generation.

To support project architects’ design goals and reduce unnecessary headaches during the bathroom construction process, SurePods prefabricated units provide simplicity from start to finish – check out four ways below:

Single point of procurement: From pre-construction to project completion, design teams work with a single point of contact to concept and create modular bathroom pods. By engaging SurePods early in the design process, project architects are able to communicate design goals without the added confusion that comes from working with multiple contacts. This also makes it easier to stay on track when it comes budgets and target opening dates, as the factory-controlled setting allows for more accurate construction techniques.

Ease of design collaboration: SurePods utilizes Revit, a modelling software for designers, engineers and architects, for building information modeling (BIM). By creating a 3D image of modular bathroom pods during the pre-con phase, all parties involved are able to to visualize the design and make necessary adjustments prior to production. Not only does this help with the design decision-making process, but it also ensures that all building and design professionals are working from the same point of reference.

“SurePods uses the same Revit for BIM electronic data we use, so sharing the designs back and forth is simple and easy,” said Greg Mueller, CEO and principal, Tucker Sadler Architects. “They also generate a complete package for permitting, which speeds up our drawing time.”

Simply put, since modular bathrooms are pre-designed and agreed upon, they are a known solution. There’s no need to change an order or dip into an owner’s contingency fund.

Simplicity on the factory floor: By utilizing Revit in collaboration with project architects, SurePods’ 3D bathroom models translate directly into machine code. Then, production robots can manufacture bathroom pods with laser precision – literally. With automated computer numerical control (CNC) machines, SurePods can essentially “hit print” and produce several bathroom pods per day to exact project specifications.

Plug-and-play installation: Once the pods are manufactured, they are wrapped in waterproof and weatherproof packaging and delivered to the jobsite. Since bathroom pods are forged by machines for dimensional accuracy and produced with high quality materials, they arrive at the jobsite in excellent condition, ready for installation. SurePods can install and deliver up to 30 units per day with a plug-and-play process similar to interlocking Legos, minimizing installation time and essentially eliminating bathroom punch lists. By coordinating a just-in-time delivery approach, projects can continue to run smoothly without unexpected delays hindering the construction process.

https://youtu.be/D72k-3zhzbQ

If you think your project is a match for SurePods, let’s talk. We have a checklist of technical issues we review with the project team based on our extensive experience. To get started, contact us at surepods.com/contact.

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