Modular builder wins $2.2M Vermont school contract

Award: Classroom construction for two elementary schools
Value: $2.2 million
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Client: South Burlington School District

The South Burlington School District has awarded KBS Builders, a South Paris, Maine-based modular builder, a $2.2 million contract to manufacture and build three classrooms and two group rooms at two elementary schools in Burlington, Vermont, according to a company press release.

Through the Advanced Building Construction Initiative, the Department of Energy will provide funding to the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation to improve the productivity of KBS’s factory and the energy efficiency of the units for these modules. The initiative integrates energy-efficiency solutions into highly productive U.S. construction practices for new buildings and retrofits, according to the DOE.

This collaboration allows the modular building company to continue to grow its volume of work outside of single-family and multifamily construction, said Thatcher Butcher, president of KBS.

“The [VEIC partnership] positions us well to continue gaining share in the large and important education and student housing markets,” said Butcher in the release. “These upgraded capabilities will position us to take advantage of additional opportunities arising from the ABC Initiative.”

Though residential high-density construction units remain the most prevalent type of modular building, offsite builders are honing in on other growing sectors. For example, other key markets include institutional construction, such as these education-related projects, according to the Modular Building Institute.

KBS will manufacture 24 modules in its factory in South Paris, Maine, and ship them to each site in South Burlington. The modules will be assembled within two days following delivery, according to the release.

Once complete, the project will produce over 12,000 square feet of new classroom space following zero-energy modular design guidelines. That means healthier indoor air quality, better durability and lower energy consumption at a lower cost and higher quality than similar site-built structures, according to the release.

The classroom additions will help alleviate an over-enrolled system for the South Burlington School District, as officials expect student registrations to grow by approximately 20% over the next 10 years, according to the release.