Role of Modular Classrooms in the Education Industry

The education industry is thriving today because of the steady increase in population that adds millions of new children to schools every year. This has created a huge demand for bigger classrooms, more facilities, more schools and more special programs.

Schools have a hard enough time trying to hire properly qualified teachers who are flexible enough to meet the needs of today’s dynamic student body. Moreover, there are state-imposed limits on class size that make it still harder for schools to cater to their students. Schools often have to add new classrooms and facilities or convert existing facilities to make room for more students.

Traditionally constructed schools are “written in stone,” quite literally! It is extremely complicated and time consuming to renovate or even make minor modifications to traditionally constructed buildings. Schools cannot afford to take unplanned breaks in the middle of the year for construction purposes. They have a lot of material to cover and a very limited amount of time to do it. Modular construction comes into play when schools are building permanent structures to accommodate more students. While permanent structures are being constructed, there’s often a need to create interim housing classrooms to accommodate these students—structures that can be easily put up and dismantled just as easily.

Modular construction has a lot of solutions to offer and therefore a lot of educational institutions have begun to consider modular buildings for schools.  

What role do modular classrooms play?

Offsite Construction

The defining factor of modular construction is that the major part of the building is constructed offsite. So constructing modular classroom buildings would allow room for the school to be used even during the entire process of construction. There would be no interruption in the daily routine of the school and everything can go on as planned with minimal interference.

Portable Classrooms

For schools that are pressed for space, there is always the option of portable or mobile classrooms. These are basically trailers constructed to meet the needs of a typical classroom and they can be placed anywhere on the school campus. The school can either choose to purchase or rent these mobile classrooms depending on what their budget and project schedule allows.

Emergencies

Emergencies like fires, tornadoes, earthquakes or pretty much any natural or unnatural disaster that is destructive to property can be very devastating especially for schools. It takes months to rebuild since everything has to be done from scratch. And as mentioned before, schools do not have months to spare. In emergency cases like these, modular classrooms can be quickly installed and used as a temporary solution while the school is being rebuilt.

Flexibility

Sometimes, there is only a temporary need for certain facilities in a school. For example, if the school is putting on a big play they will need changing rooms and storage rooms and portable restroom facilities right near the auditorium may or may not be needed for future use. Modular construction will give them the option of installing such rooms for a stipulated period of time and then removing them once there is no longer a need for them.

The same goes for additional labs, music rooms, art rooms etc. Modular construction will offer a lot of flexibility in terms of adding and deleting rooms as and when required.

Green Classrooms

Each individual module can be built to maximize the use of natural energy like solar power and sunlight. Large windows, natural ventilation, solar pipes, etc. can be installed in each classroom in order to minimize the usage of electricity and significantly cut down on bills and school running costs. Not to mention the positive impact on the environment as well as the students overall health.

As the demand for more schools with larger classrooms and versatile facilities is on the rise, it is becoming more and more evident that only modular buildings can provide a common solution to all these challenges.

Learn more about how feasible modular classrooms can be for your school – request a quote from Mobile Modular today.