A four-story steel and glass charter school built in 183 days…

A Yale University dorm set in just four days over spring break, designed to reflect the historic buildings nearby…

A three-story corporate headquarters complete with state-of-the-art gym built in 122 days…

These are the kinds of projects that are leading to double-digit growth in the modular construction industry, according to Modular Building Institute. The Institute and the Robert W. Baird & Co. partnered on a study that predicts 15% growth over the next year.

According to the Institute, these buildings are high-quality construction, efficient, cost-effective and virtually indistinguishable from site-built construction. Structures are built in a factory from steel and concrete, shipped to the site, craned into place and joined on-site. The savings are primarily in the schedule - a structure built in a climate-controlled environment can save 50% in overall construction time.

Locally, St. Louis ReSource offers a spreadsheet comparison on a 9,500 square foot building, with modular construction saving five weeks on the schedule and $17,250 in overall cost.

What are your thoughts and experiences with modular construction?