Modular building construction

Abstract

A modular system of construction of loft apartment buildings. This type of unit is in high demand in many metropolitan areas, and the modular nature of the inventive buildings allows them to be produced quickly and at low cost. In addition, the invention provides a novel system for interconnecting apartments quickly during construction, providing further cost savings. A mix of apartment types, including handicapped-accessible apartments, may be placed in each building, with the proportions of different apartment types being tailored to the needs of the local market and the constraints of local building codes. The apartment modules may be sized to permit convenient shipping of modules within the constraints of overland shipping regulations.

Description

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 252,635, filed Feb. 19, 1999 and issued Dec. 7, 2004 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,879, which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OR THE INVENTION [0002] The present application relates to modular systems and methods for assembling multiunit buildings from multiple vertically stacked modules, and particularly to systems and methods in which units may be connected by preformed vertical chases. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Increasing demand for affordable housing in major metropolitan areas has necessitated the development of creative systems for housing design. One such solution is the renovation of underutilized or functionally obsolete buildings, often former industrial sites, into housing units. One advantage of such units has been the ability to produce “loft” apartments, in which at least a portion of each unit has double-height ceilings. These apartments have become popular in many markets, t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] The present invention provides a modular system of construction of loft apartment buildings. This type of unit is in high demand in many metropolitan areas, and the modular nature of the inventive buildings allows them to be produced quickly and at low cost. In addition, the invention provides a novel system for interconnecting apartments quickly during construction, providing further cost savings. A mix of apartment types, including handicap-accessible apartments, may be placed in each building, with the proportions of different apartment types being tailored to the needs of the local market and the constraints of local building codes. The apartment modules may be sized to permit convenient shipping of modules within the constraints of overland shipping regulations.

Problems solved by technology

These apartments have become popular in many markets, to the point that demand for such units may exceed the available supply of buildings to retrofit.

In addition to the limited supply of buildings suited to be converted to loft apartments, another major impediment to the construction of multiunit housing has been the need to provide adequate parking space for each unit.

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