Built Different

This episode tackles one of modular's trickiest design decisions—how to handle horizontal and vertical circulation when your dwelling units ship as complete modules.

Topics covered:

• Corridor modules vs. field-built corridors: the trade-offs
• Why shipping corridor modules means shipping air—and when that's still worth it
• Fire-rating challenges at module-to-module connections
• Core strategy: modular cores vs. site-built elevator shafts and stair towers
• How labor market costs should drive your corridor and core decisions

There's no single right answer—but there is a wrong one: assuming this strategy will figure itself out. It won't.

Built Different is brought to you by Spring Street Management Group. New episodes drop weekdays at 6 AM Pacific.

This episode explores bathroom pods as a sub-assembly strategy—complete units with fixtures, tile, plumbing, and electrical that drop into modules at the factory.

Topics covered:

• Why bathrooms are the biggest labor sink in residential construction
• How pod production improves waterproofing quality and reduces warranty claims
• Schedule compression: from two weeks of trades to a single drop-in
• The economics of scale—why pods work at 200 units but not 20
• Build vs. buy: in-house pods versus specialized manufacturers

Bathroom pods represent nested prefabrication that pushes modular economics further than modules alone. Learn when they make sense for your project.

Built Different is brought to you by Spring Street Management Group. New episodes drop weekdays at 6 AM Pacific.

This episode examines the hidden trade-offs in module sizing—and why the biggest module your factory can build might not be the right choice for your project.

Topics covered:

• Transportation constraints: permits, escorts, and the $5,000-per-unit cost of going wide
• Site access realities: when your module can't make the turn
• Crane capacity and why module weight becomes a hard limit
• Factory capabilities and the cost of custom tooling
• How to optimize across all constraints—not just factory completion

Before you lock in module dimensions, run the numbers on transport, site logistics, and crane requirements. This episode shows you how.

Built Different is brought to you by Spring Street Management Group. New episodes drop weekdays at 6 AM Pacific.

In this episode, we break down the three critical mistakes architects make when designing for modular construction—and how to avoid them.

Topics covered:

• Why designing for modular means starting with constraints, not fighting them
• The module grid problem: bathrooms, kitchens, and corridors that straddle seams
• How over-customization kills factory economics
• Why smart architects pick the factory first and design to their strengths
• Transportation limits that shape every decision downstream

Whether you're an architect new to modular or a developer vetting design partners, this episode reveals where design goes wrong—and how to get it right from day one.

Built Different is brought to you by Spring Street Management Group. New episodes drop weekdays at 6 AM Pacific.