A 2018 study from FMI Corporation entitled “New Day, New Mindset: Rethinking Offsite Construction” shows just how dramatically things have changed for prefab construction in the past three years. In fact, 61% of survey respondents think that today’s offsite construction environment (which includes prefab construction) is different than in 2014. The top reasons for this change are the skilled labor shortage on the job site and increasing pressure on both project costs and project schedules.

When you finish a healthcare construction project, you’ll likely ask yourself:

• Was it on time?
• Was it on budget?
• Does it look great?

Next to a company’s workforce, the second largest business expense for the vast majority of organizations is their real estate. Yet most organizations approach this expensive investment with a very narrow focus and short-term lens; resulting in spaces that can’t keep up with changing business demands and fail to foster a strong and vibrant culture. This short-term focus explains why the average tenant lease term is only 7 years in North America and is cause for serious concern, as we look to the future of commercial construction.

DIRTT is a prefabricated construction solution that helps you build better regardless of industry. It's an approach to interior construction that allows you to customize aesthetic, technological, and application specific layers so your space reflects your needs.

 A Brief History of Drywall

The U.S Gypsum Company invented drywall in 1916. It was originally called "Sackett Board," named after the Sackett plaster board company. At first, it was sold in the form of small, fireproof tiles. However, within a few years it transformed into multi-layer gypsum and paper sheets. In less than a decade, it became the drywall we're familiar with today - a single layer of compressed gypsum between two sheets of heavy paper.

Healthcare continues to evolve. Today's medical professionals have to create spaces that are flexible to meet changing demands. In addition, few sectors have to be as responsive and responsible as healthcare. Patients range from newborns to seniors. The industry responds daily to injuries, illnesses, and preventative health care. In short, they never stop working for us.

Today when most people speak about flexible office spaces, they're commonly referring to the new trend of coworking spaces or shared offices. While traditional office space can get overlooked when we say the word "flexible", traditional space is often the right solution for both new and established businesses.

Sustainability is one of the world's most used and talked about but least understood words. What it means to be called sustainable can often be clouded or misinterpreted, because it's so widely used. For most, it's the preservation of the environment, and building better by reducing the number of resources required. To some it goes as far as social progress to stable economic growth and the elimination of poverty.

A lot of tools and resources exist to help general contractors estimate construction costs. In fact, there are so many that it can get a little confusing. Here are just a few that we found after doing a quick search: 2017 Assemblies Cost Data, 2017 Building Construction Cost Data, 2017 Commercial Renovation Cost Data, 2017 Concrete and Masonry Cost Data, 2017 Facilities Construction Cost, 2017 Facilities Maintenance and Repair Cost Data, 2017 Green Building Cost Data, 2017 Interior Cost Data, Markup & Profit, A Contractor's Guide, and the list goes on and on.

Consumerism and patient influence on healthcare facilities is growing. According to Health Facilities Management and the American Society for Healthcare Engineering of the American Hospital Association's 2016 Hospital Construction Survey, more than 86% of survey respondents said that patient satisfaction is "very important" in driving design changes in health facilities and/or services. The survey also reported that 63% of respondents stated they include the public in the design process.