Audree Grubesic. Apr 28. 3 min read. Featuring Heith Bibby, CEO of Mandeville Modular.
At Advancing Prefab 2026, the focus was on performance, not just speed. High-performance modular construction depends on material selection, sustainability, and structural integrity.
Owners, municipalities, and developers are asking longer-term questions.
Mandeville Modular uses structural steel with light gauge infill walls. The company says this approach avoids many long-term durability risks associated with wood-framed modular systems, including moisture, mold, and material degradation.
The envelope system avoids wood in critical structural areas. It uses composite concrete sheathing and encapsulated steel framing for durability, fire resistance, and structural integrity.
Heith Bibby emphasized several sustainability priorities.
The article says sustainability in modular construction must be engineered into the system, not treated as marketing.
The system is designed to outperform existing building codes rather than simply comply with them. The article notes that some municipal codes still reference standards that lag behind modern material science and modular capability.
For projects in Hawaii, Jamaica, or the Bahamas, corrosion is a major issue. Mandeville Modular addresses this with:
The conversation also stressed education. Mandeville Modular trains internal teams on why a material is selected, how it performs, how to install it correctly, and how it affects long-term durability.
The article frames industrialized construction as a collaboration between architects, engineers, consultants, and factory teams.
High-performance modular construction is presented as the next evolution of industrialized building. The article highlights five requirements:
The article says performance will increasingly separate leaders from followers as modular construction expands into high-rise multifamily, hospitality, and large-scale commercial projects.
Steel framing provides enhanced durability, fire resistance, and structural integrity. It also reduces risks from moisture, mold, and long-term degradation.
The article says modular systems can reduce environmental impact through recycled materials, waste reduction, lower off-gassing components, and factory precision.
When properly engineered, modular systems can perform well in salt-air and high-humidity conditions through protective coatings, encapsulated steel, and corrosion-resistant materials.