Founded by Rick Murdock and Curtis Fletcher, Prefab Logic is one of the country’s leading prefabricated and modular construction consulting companies. Before Prefab Logic, Murdock had a 40-year career owning and operating modular manufacturing plants and pioneering multi-family modular projects, and Fletcher had 30 years’ experience as an owner of product development companies focused on multi-family modular projects throughout the US. While the two saw that construction and design technology was solving many of the practical challenges of modular building, both also saw that there was—and still is—a greater challenge in convincing owners and GCs in the traditional construction space of modular’s benefits.
Rick and Curtis want to make building modular straightforward, clear and profitable for clients, whether they’re eager startups in Silicon Valley or major hotel chains pivoting away from traditional construction.
“We see a new generation of builders in the market-place that are completely focused on integrating modular in their form of business, who are not held back or challenged by a paradigm shift. We believe this push towards a new business model will rapidly take place over the next 3-5 years, with modular overtaking large segments of traditional construction within 10 years’ time.”
Modular designing requires a different approach for architects and designers, but the most difficult challenges involve contending with the fast pace of design and building. Fletcher explained that the accelerated cash flow of modular building should be addressed with a client’s finance team early on, and that “owners often underestimate the demand that will be placed on them to make decisions about finishes, fixtures and equipment long before the product is manufactured.” Digital architectural and logistical technology aid these conversations, and Prefab Logic uses Bluebeam Revu to mark up designs for modular compatibility.
Prefab Logic has also worked with major hotel groups such as Marriott, Hilton and Citizen M, and consulted on a range of other projects in senior, multi-family and affordable housing.
The modular industry is growing rapidly, and the stage is set for massive growth and Murdock and Fletcher are anxious to be a part of it. “Prefab Logic has been helping to build the industry, mostly in the Western US, including best practices and infrastructure over the last several years. We’re bringing new manufacturers into the market and building confidence with the development and financial communities. We’re also expanding into the East Coast this year, with new projects already on board and expanded efforts into the much-needed manufacturing capacity,” Fletcher says.
The shortage of labor has created longer lead times and tighter budgets in an industry already notorious for projects running over schedule and over budget. This exacerbates the shortage of affordable housing in the United States. For all of these reasons, industry forecasters have said that modular construction is the future, and the question isn’t if but when.
