Concept & Design

A reduction in building costs, time and on–site disruption are just some of the many benefits that have made modular buildings such a popular option for existing buildings looking to extend their facilities on a temporary or permanent basis. “The challenge for modular technology now is to break the ‘stack of boxes’ stereotype and show how modern systems can now be designed and built to create attractive, functional environments”, says Adrian Day, Director at Terrapin.

Aesthetic Advances

Modular buildings have a long and successful history in the education sector, from high quality single classroom solutions, all the way to fully designed and built school or campus projects that include fit-out and furnishing. However, these methods of construction are now being used in increasingly wider sectors, for example in a variety of healthcare, commercial, developer, military, retail and public projects. The off-site construction techniques used in delivering these systems enable fast, accurate and affordable solutions to permanent, temporary and relocatable building requirements. Indeed, nothing can beat modular buildings for getting square footage on–site in a short period of time at a reasonable cost. However, whilst all these advantages may be well documented, aesthetic advances in modular building design are not always as widely known. The exterior design and interior layout of an educational facility, for example, play a key role in encouraging positive behaviours, creativity and knowledge sharing - the same could easily be said about a working environment. An extensive and versatile range of external and internal design elements is now available in modular construction to create appealing and enduring permanent buildings that can be purpose-designed to match not only a project’s cost and time objectives, but also the desired aesthetics.

Exterior Finishes

A building’s facade establishes its character and context within the local surroundings. Options for modular structures are no different from traditionally constructed buildings, ranging from brick and cedar cladding to lightweight aggregate panels which provide interesting colour and texture. Fenestration style also has an impact on the overall appearance of the finished building, whether windows are a standard casement or innovative ‘porthole’ design. Aluminium is widely specified for window and door profiles in modular buildings because of its durability and low maintenance, and the fact that it can be supplied in almost any colour. This offers greater design flexibility and allows frames to be colour–matched to adjacent buildings if required.

Sensitive Design

Modular structures are typically used by institutions or businesses to provide additional space or a new facility, such as a canteen or sports hall, and are almost always located alongside existing buildings. This presents the key decision–making challenge to clients and local planners – whether to contrast with, or blend with the aesthetics of adjacent buildings. New modular buildings are often best when having their own ‘bold’ character but with features which mimic the predominant architectural features of the main facility, such as the roof type, elevations and window sizes, as well as the materials and colours used in the façade. Sympathetic positioning of the new building in relation to the existing or nearby structures will also contribute to visual unity, while complementary features such as porticos and pergolas, attractive landscaping and walkways can all assist in creating the impression of a planned extension and not simply a quick–fix to a space problem.

Interior Planning

Effective interior planning is essential in establishing a functional and pleasant environment – even in a temporary modular building. However, the off-site process is so fast that this vital aspect can often be over-simplified or even ignored. Features such as vaulted ceilings and roof–lights can be incorporated to deliver the feeling of space and attractive natural light. It’s also important that the internal design allows for an evolving curriculum or business, and new technology developments. Similarly, including movable partitions in selected areas can provide the flexibility to change the interior space to meet different requirements. Although an impressive array of interior finishes are now available for modular buildings, the choice is often dictated to some extent by budget. Hard–wearing, easy to clean wall surfaces and floor coverings are usually the preferred options in educational or healthcare environments, but this does not always need to be at the expense of design. For example, in a recent Terrapin contract for a modular school hall, a visually impressive herringbone wood block floor was specified to satisfy the project’s durability and design criteria.

Innovation

Modern modular building solutions can offer the project design flexibility and variety of exterior and interior finishes normally associated with traditional construction. By thinking ‘outside the box’, all types of companies can access the benefits of modular technology to achieve fast, cost effective space solutions without having to compromise aesthetics.

Multi-Discipline

Terrapin provides an all encompassing service – a one–stop–shop – from conception to completion. We work with clients to develop their brief into an outline concept proposal that determines the general approach to layout, feasibility and construction. This will include working closely with end–users, project teams and architects (where appropriate) to ensure that the project is developed to design/quotation stage quickly and effectively, and that it meets all requirements. A full quotation will then be prepared and presented with all of the information necessary to obtain the client’s approval.

By combining vast experience, our commitment to innovation and the comprehensive range of MMC technologies that we have available to us, we have the ability to deliver exceptional flexibility in building design. Architects and our own designers can create unique and innovative buildings that can utilise new materials and respond to individual customer needs and aspirations – enabling creative thinking that takes building design far beyond the box.

We are fully conversant with specific market sector requirements including HTM (Health Technical Memoranda), Hotel, RSL (Registered Social Landlords), Nursery, MOD, etc, along with current regulatory standards (eg Part M) and proposed future developments of these standards (eg Part L)

The Benefits of Early Involvement

Whenever you call on Terrapin, we can deliver the benefits of speed, quality assurance and cost saving. If you involve Terrapin from the earliest project stage we can magnify those benefits by planning and designing to suit our strengths.