"We always thought in terms of stick built," says homeowner Eileen Raulli. "But time is of the essence."
The Newark Star-Ledger reports that Raulli's new house, built on 5-foot pilings to rise above the flood that destroyed their previous dwelling, went together in a day ("New Jersey Shore: Modular construction helping to rebuild homes destroyed by Sandy," by Kimberley L. Jackson).
"The construction crew arrived on the Marcellus Avenue building site in Manasquan at 8 a.m. May 18," the paper reports. "By 2 p.m. that same day, a new three-story house was standing. The kitchen and bathroom cabinets were in place, each sink had its faucet, all the interior trim was finished."
The down side of modular is its tendency to replicate predictable — some might say monotonous — design elements, NJIT Architecture Dean Urs Gauchat told the Star-Ledger. But the up side is speed — a factor that on the post-Sandy Jersey Shore, could make all the difference.
