This blog contains content specific to our BOXX Modular branches in British Columbia, and was formerly featured on our Britco website. As of 6/19/2024, the Britco brand has been fully integrated under the BOXX Modular name.
British Columbia is one of the fastest growing populations in Canada, with a growth rate of 7.6% in the last five years. What does this mean for local schools and universities? As more and more families are moving into the province, our school systems need to grow as well.
Because of the innovative techniques of modular design, you can create a completely customizable space that can facilitate and support your learning needs. A modular school can be quickly constructed, include intricate details specific to your school, and be relocated or adjusted when your needs change.
Increasing the Number of Daycare Centres
Canada has made it an economic and social initiative to increase the number of daycare centres available across the country. An increase in this infrastructure will help give more children access to affordable, flexible, and inclusive education.
Over the next five years, the Government of Canada will invest 3.2 billion dollars to help improve early learning facilities in every province. By March 2026, Canada hopes to have 250,000 new childcare centres.
Incorporating custom modular schools into this plan can help quicken the number of centres installed and keep them adaptable so as the daycare’s needs change, so can their modular design.
How to Use a Modular School Building
A modular school building can provide multiple benefits to your learning facility. We’ll go through just a few scenarios where a modular structure could be useful, but with a custom modular design, your options are practically limitless.
1. A Swing Space
When you’re looking to upgrade your existing building, a modular school is a great option as a temporary solution. This will help keep the natural flow of your students' and staff’s daily routines so classes and schedules are not disrupted.
Once the building is no longer needed, we can either disassemble the structure and reuse it for another project or it can be relocated within your institution to be utilized in a new space.
2. Additional Classroom
Just under 20% of the British Columbia population is under the age of 19, and this percentage will continue to grow. As this happens, your existing structure may need to be expanded to adapt to the changing needs.
Nova Scotia has taken initiative and partnered with the government to provide 47 modular classrooms to five different Halifax schools. These additional classrooms were built to help support the community's continued population growth.
These custom modular classrooms help maintain comfort and stability for staff and students, as well as give them a smooth transition from the initial infrastructure to the modular school buildings.
3. Administrative Offices
As important as it is for students to feel comfortable in their learning environment, it is also essential that staff and faculty feel they have a space to complete their work and daily tasks. Modular office spaces can allow professors and administrators to collaborate with their peers, meet with students, and have the privacy to feel productive throughout the day.
As the number of faculty increased at a university in British Columbia, they soon realized they would need additional space to accommodate the growth. The challenge was to relocate 150 staff members to individual offices that were still in close proximity to each other and the rest of the university.
BOXX was able to provide 21 modular offices that spanned over 24,000 square feet. The modules were installed in a tight-knit community so faculty could still collaborate easily with each other. Each module had eight offices inside and a heating/cooling system that helped maintain comfortable temperatures during winter and summer.
4. Storage Space
As your school becomes more innovative and adds new infrastructure, you may need a space to store valuable learning materials and equipment. BOXX can provide a storage container to help ensure the safety and security of your items.
The adaptability of modular also allows you to stack modules on top of each other if needed. So, you could have an office on the first floor, and a storage container on top of it. A two-story modular office building is secure and can conserve land space.
Why Use a Modular Design?
Now that we’ve explained where to use a modular building, it’s time to emphasize why. The benefits of a modular design can create lasting effects and provide great opportunities for your educational facility.
1. Save Time and Money
A custom-designed modular project can be completed 30 to 50% faster than other construction methods. Since a majority of the construction process is completed in an indoor, controlled setting, you won’t have to worry about weather delays.
In addition to saving time and money, you also have the opportunity to rent out your modular building for night classes or meetings. This can help your institution bring in a little extra income.
2. Stay Flexible
If we’ve learned anything from the past few years, it’s that educational institutions have to stay flexible and adaptable. A modular structure allows you to use it wherever necessary. For example, maybe it needs to be an administrative office for part of the year and then transformed into a classroom for the second half of the year.
3. Keep Your Space Comfortable
A custom modular space can be connected to your current school building to create a seamless transition from a permanent to a modular structure. This includes the physical building as well as matching the aesthetics and branding.
To further make the space comfortable and safe, you can incorporate breezeways to help students feel secure walking to a modular structure that may not be attached to the school. These can be especially useful if you are working on upgrading your permanent building during the school year. The breezeway can help keep debris and construction materials away from schoolgoers.
4. Design Sustainably
Especially if you are looking to have a temporary space so you can improve your existing structure, a modular school building can be used for however long it’s needed and then disassembled and potentially used in a new project later.
During the modular construction process, individual modules are made with precision and technique. This reduces the amount of material waste created throughout the entire project. If there is any unused material during your project, it can simply be put away and reused for a future building.
Additionally, with a significant amount of the process being completed in a controlled environment, you reduce the number of deliveries and traffic that normal construction sites create. This ultimately lessens the number of carbon emissions produced.
5. Don't Disrupt Your Natural Flow
Your school is going to be filled with students and staff for the majority of the year, so there’s never a great time to start a new construction process. Since a huge percentage of the modular construction process is off-site, you won’t have to worry about disrupting the natural flow of a student’s day.
Once constructed, your modular school building will be delivered to you and installed within a matter of weeks. During the modular construction process, you can prepare the site simultaneously to further reduce the amount of time needed for installation.
Modular Schools in Use
At BOXX Modular, each project is unique. We’ll work with you to expand your existing space so it can more easily meet the needs of administrators, faculty, and students. Highlighted below are a few innovative projects BOXX is proud to be a part of.
Daycare Centre
A new daycare facility in Burnaby, B.C. needed to be an open space with lots of storage that could accommodate both children and faculty. The center was equipped with amenities such as washrooms, cabinetry, and kitchenware.
Through an efficient HVAC system, LED lighting, and lots of windows for natural light, the custom modular structure was designed with energy efficiency in mind. The entire space included 4 modules put together, totaling 2,106 square feet. This project was completed in 14 months.
Temporary Office Complex
To help conserve land space, a two-story modular office building was chosen to fulfil a temporary space need in Vancouver. The structure was made out of eight modules that contained open workstations, private offices, washrooms, and kitchens on each floor.
For a stricter timeline, you have the ability to choose modules that are already constructed and will suit your project. In this case, the two-story modular office building was completed in just 90 days. Used modular structures are a quick, efficient solution that can be used in more urgent situations.
Although they may not be able to be completely customized to match your school’s aesthetic, they will provide a structurally sound and comfortable space for your staff and students.
Whistler School
This custom modular learning space was completed in 40 days and was awarded the 2019 Modular Building Institute’s Award of Distinction in the Modular Classroom Category. The space was constructed using the latest technology with a very short on-site construction process.
A vital benefit of modular construction is that the building is made to be relocated if needed. When the needs of your school change, the building can move to where it’s needed. This building specifically provided a storage space as well so it can be easily adapted into whatever you need it to be.
Experience the benefits of a custom modular design by speaking with our modular specialists today.
Ready to solve your space needs?
Modular buildings are the way to go. Request a quote or contact us today to get the conversation started. We’d love to talk to you about how modular can meet — and exceed — your needs.