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Posted by usm-admin on Oct 31, 2016 in Blog |

How Solar Lanterns are Giving Power to the People

Prashant Mandal flips on a candy-bar-size LED light in the hut he shares with his wife and four children. Instantly hues of canary yellow and ocean blue—reflecting off the plastic tarps that serve as the family’s roof and walls—fill the cramped space where they sleep. Mandal, a wiry 42-year-old with a thick black beard and a lazy eye, gestures with a long finger across his possessions: a torn page from a dated Hindu calendar, a set of tin plates, a wooden box used as a chair. He shuts down the solar unit that powers the light and unplugs it piece by piece, then carries it to a tent some 20 yards away, where he works as a chai wallah, selling sweet, milky tea to travelers on the desolate road in Madhotanda, a forested town near the northern border of India. “My life is sad, but I have my mind to help me through it,” Mandal says, tapping the fraying cloth of his orange turban. “And this solar light helps...

Posted by usm-admin on Oct 11, 2016 in Blog |

A Look at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prefabs

From early modular construction to a portfolio of homes based in the Midwest, we take a look at the prefab residences designed by America’s most famous architect. If you were plotting a Frank Lloyd Wright tour of American architecture, the 2700 block of West Burnham Street in Milwaukee might not make your itinerary. But on this quiet street, you can find evidence of the architect’s career-long obsession with creating affordable, sometimes prefabricated, housing for the masses. The only grouping of Frank Lloyd Wright’s early American System-Built Homes—built by Arthur Richards and designed with standardized components for mass appeal to moderate-income families—is situated in the Burnham Park neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The four model 7A duplexes, one model B1 bungalow (shown here), and model C3 bungalow were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. [Photo via McNees.org] Crafted between 1915 and 1917 with precut factory lumber to save cash and labor, a half-dozen duplexes and bungalows on this block—the American System-Built Homes, as they have come to...

Posted by usm-admin on Oct 10, 2016 in Blog |

Trending-Modern Prefab Office Space built using Modular Construction

Takes advantage of a controlled production environment, the latest manufacturing technologies, and the design flexibility of modular construction to produce high-quality prefabricated buildings for any demand. The prefab office building process starts with the assembly of steel and concrete. Redundant quality controls manufacturing accuracy, before every prefab office building leaves the factory. Prefab construction takes multi-tasking to a whole new level. Our construction foreman professionals are at your site, preparing the foundation to receive the prefab modules. Land site is graded, cement foundation is poured as needed to support the prefab office building. With all containers shipped to the site, the foundation ready, the prefab building is set into place, connected to the foundation for a solid and durable completed building. Utilities are connected and selected exterior finishes are added. Resulting environmentally-friendly, with the all the same expect from conventional buildings. Short time to occupancy, your venture can commence and start generating revenue sooner, plus accelerate your returns on your investment. Contact USModular, Inc. to learn more about prefab...

Posted by usm-admin on Oct 7, 2016 in Blog |

Modular vs. Site Built Homes

Across the world, the timely construction of properties benefit both the constructor and homeowner. From the owner’s point of view, early possession of a home or apartment, allows them the opportunity to earn rental income sooner, and save on the interest on the loan borrowed from the bank. Also, upon completion of the project the builder can reinvest the capital into new projects and earn further income. The traditional site-built construction is giving way to prefab structures and materials. Prefab technologies can be used to build homes quickly and cost-effectively, especially as traditional construction costs continue to rise. As the cost of borrowing is steep in developing countries and land developers are facing a liquidity crunch, time is equal to money. Prefab construction method is quicker and adds to the revenue stream of the developer. In prefab technology, the project can be designed using architecture software. Parts such as steel frames, wall, ceiling panels are custom-made. The components are then brought to the construction site , the structure is assembled on-site., together with kitchen and...

Posted by usm-admin on Sep 22, 2016 in Blog |

Women Can Now Escape to a Backyard “She Shed”

Men have their caves, and now women have their sheds. “She Sheds” are a new trend sweeping the nation that allow women to escape to their own personal private retreats, without leaving home. Nestled behind Tamara Harbert’s Houston home is her great escape into a little backyard bliss. It’s being away, without being away, which I love,” said Harbert. A She Shed is much different from a man cave, but the quaint 144 square foot bungalow serves a similar purpose. “I read in there, I do paint in there, now I’m doing some collages – I love color,” Harbert said. “I love eclectic things. I love antiques,” Harbert said. Her She Shed is decked out with her own style and equipped with an air conditioner and ceiling fan, so she is able to “shed her stress” year round. She uses the space for arts and crafts, or getting design ideas for her next project. “I can sit and read in my house. But I’m also looking around thinking to...