Higher Ed Turns to Modular for Student Housing
Date Posted: August 14, 2025
Posted In: Ideas, What we are thinking about,
From Construction Dive: Facility managers at higher education campuses can expect better quality and lower maintenance needs if new dormitories and other student housing use modular construction, a general contractor experienced in that method says.
Modular construction is used mostly for affordable housing as a way to bring new units to market at a lower cost, but universities and colleges are looking at it more, according to Jim Stanley, executive vice president and Los Angeles division manager of Suffolk Construction, a builder that operates across the U.S.
A good example is California Polytechnic State University, which plans to bring online some 3,000 beds over 10 years to house the school’s growing student base at a lower cost than stick-built housing while keeping the design aligned to the school’s historical structures, he said.
“Especially with a renowned university like Cal Poly, they want it to be an experience for the student, and they have some historical buildings, so you’re competing with older student housing and you want it to still be a positive experience,” he said.
Modular construction has evolved to include units that can have relatively sophisticated designs without sacrificing the value proposition it offers by simplifying and standardizing the base component, he said.