“So you know the trailer classrooms at my school?” said my niece. “Yes,” I responded. “I realized today the Native Americans were making those modular buildings long before that Aries company you work with!” Hmm. The holidays often bring about introspection, especially for children. But my niece had a point worth pondering, so I did. And now I’m passing these wispy thoughts and information on to you, so as you walk forward in the world of construction trailers, mobile offices, and other prefab dwellings, you can think back to the original portable buildings of America’s Great Plains.
For thousands of years, Native Americans sought housing suitable for their lifestyle and climate. For nomadic tribes that followed the buffalo, it was imperative that their entire village was able to pick up very quickly and move along to another location (sounds a bit like workforce housing, no?). These relocatable quarters, or teepees, were built using many long wooden poles for the frame, then tied together snug at the top and spread out wide at the ground, making an upside-down cone shape. After this frame was tested for sturdiness, a giant covering made from buffalo hides was placed over the structure. This process took around 30 minutes, making it an extremely efficient way to live.
As tribes migrated, each family in the village would carry along their own poles and hides, erecting teepees around 12-feet tall. After horses came into the picture, they started building them twice as tall. In the summer time, the buffalo hide could be raised, allowing the cool plains air to flow through the gap at the bottom. And in the winter, the teepee could be quickly insulated by adding additional coverings over the structure and building a fire inside, allowing the smoke to flow out the hole on top of the teepee.
When it gets down to it, not much has changed when it comes to what we look for in a portable building.
Time savings
Since the construction of modular buildings can take place simultaneously with the site & foundation work, projects can be completed in almost half the time as traditional construction, not to mention the elimination of weather delays.
Safety
Prefabricated buildings are built to meet or exceed the same building codes and standards as site-built structures, and the indoor construction environment reduces the risks of accidents for workers.
Quality
Modular buildings are assembled with the same materials, building codes, and architectural specifications as traditional construction, using BIM technology to assess energy performance and identify the most-cost effective measures in advance.
Environmentally conscious
Modular construction takes place within a controlled facility, minimizing site disturbance, besides reducing waste and continued need for raw materials – as the same modular unit can be used time and time again.
Adaptability
A portable classroom can have another life as a mobile office. A mobile container can be customized into a construction trailer. Modular units can also be designed to fit in with external aesthetics of any existing structures, making them virtually indistinguishable from any other architecture.
When it’s all said and done, the most important part of the equation is the families which make up the village. Although the days of the North American nomadic tribes are passed, the responsibility to “create your own space” still remains in the hands of the families within our communities. The Native Americans worked together as a unit in order to make sure their community was safe, fed, and had the opportunity to grow in the face of change. Here at Aries, we still value that keeping people cool, warm, safe, and comfortable is still the goal. And as a family-owned business, we believe in helping our communities grow in every way we can.
If you would like our turnkey assistance in the commercial design, manufacturing, transportation, construction, or financing of your modular building project, please visit us ariesbuildings.com or give us a call at (888) 702-0134. And if you’re interested in our workforce housing side of things, we definitely go well beyond there, too – just visit Aries Residence Suites.