MICHAEL HASEY // AI & ARCHITECTURE

Fort Apache // Modular Design

office: katerra

type: multi-family residential // modular construction

location: las vegas, nevada, usa

Fort Apache is a complex of eight walk-up apartment buildings Las Vegas, Nevada. With construction complete, they are Katerra’s first buildings to incorporate the Garden-Style Chassis system; a modular approach to architectural design where a kit of standard units can be combined in various configurations. When applied, this modular approach drastically reduces design and construction time and increases savings.

Responsibilities:

As a member of a small 3-person team, we developed, completed and permitted the Fort Apache’s construction drawing set. This exposure gave me the opportunity to work with and develop modular building platform designs, an approach that’s gaining major traction across the North American architecture and construction industry. Upon completion, the project was marketed as a major landmark and achievement for the company as they the first fully Katerra-designed, permitted, and completed buildings.

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Modular Building Platforms

Each individual building at Fort Apache used Katerra’s Garden Multifamily Platform, which is a modular, standardized & optimized building platform for market rate multifamily residential housing

Standardized Building Platforms

Katerra Building Platforms are designed for manufacturing and assembly. Working in this model allows Katerra’s integrated teams to standardize core building architectural and engineering systems, while still offering a wide range of configurable design elements. This unique approach offers clients the speed and risk assurance advantages of a repeatable product, while retaining the design freedom needed to support each demographic, site, and region. Like all other components in Katerra buildings, the building platforms are first manufactured within Katerra factories before being installed on site.

Multiple Configurations

Each individual building at Fort Apache used Katerra’s Garden Multifamily Platform, which is a standardized & optimized building platform for market rate multifamily residential housing. This building platform can be rearranged into multiple configurations in order to achieve a high-quality, cost-effective product with maximum usability across geographies.

Floor plans

Two floor plans with different modular chasis configurations being used at Fort Apache.

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Manufacturing Process For Repeatability

Another Katerra asset includes their library of standard construction assembly details which have been designed for repeatability and manufacturing. Naturally, a kit of parts approach has been taken to leverage economy of scale through a hyper efficient and streamlined design and manufacturing processes. Working within this model has allowed Katerra’s integrated teams to standardize core building components such as wall panels, roof and floor systems, and window and door details, while allowing for on-demand configurability.

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Step 1: Material Procurement

For New Build clients, Katerra acts as the sole supplier for every major category of building material, including site and structural materials, rough-in products, and all finishes.

Step 2: Automated Off-Site Manufacturing

Katerra uses various automated manufacturing assembly lines, soon including fully automated wood frame wall production lines, automated floor lines, automated cabinet and finish areas, automated roof truss lines, an automated window line and a light gauge steel production line that utilize 30 fixed robots, 12 mobile robots, and a digital manufacturing process using Self-Guided Vehicle technology.

Step 3: Transport to Site

After manufacturing, building components are loaded onto trucks and shipped to site.

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Step 4: Assemble on Site

Factory manufactured building components such as wall and floor panels are then crane-lifted into place and installed by Katerra’s on-site construction teams. Once secured, additional components such as exterior wall finishes and waterproofing are installed to move the panels towards completion.