Forest City Ratner’s groundbreaking modular tower has earned a Breakthrough Award from Popular Mechanic.
Roger Krulak, senior vice president of Modular Housing at FCRC, and David Farnsworth, a principal in the New York office of the global engineering firm ARUP, received the award, which “recognizes the innovators, engineers, and scientists responsible for changing our world.”
In announcing the award, Popular Mechanic noted:
“David Farnsworth and Roger Krulak for building the United States’ first modular skyscraper – In downtown Brooklyn, America’s first high-rise modular tower is being built. However, unlike every other construction project, it’s not built brick-by-rick on site.
Instead, it’s assembled unit by unit in a factory just over a mile away. The apartment modules arrive at the tower site virtually finished: bathrooms plumbed, paint dried, refrigerators installed. Each is hooked to a crane, and 12 minutes later, someone’s new home is all but ready for move-in.
Krulak and Farnsworth were among ten honorees this year, including a car built from 3D-printed parts and a new gear kit that drastically reduces the weight U.S. Marines must carry in combat.
“Our interest in modular construction grew out of the recognition that we must find new ways to build that create greater efficiencies and reduce the impact on the environment,” said Bruce Ratner, executive chairman of Forest City Ratner Companies, the developer of the modular building.
“Roger and David, along with the larger team of architects and engineers, among others, worked diligently to identify new ways to improve on their existing technology to allow us to design and build what will be the tallest modular building in the world when completed.
“We applaud them for their breakthrough work, which we strongly believe will set in motion more innovation in construction in the years to come.”
Work on the Atlantic Yards building — known as B2 — has been halted amidst a dispute between FCRC and Skanska, which is building the modules.
The dispute centers around who has to foot the bill for recent cost over-runs and design flaws at the site.
Ratner is demanding that Skanska stick to the agreed-upon price despite the over-runs, but the construction firm wants to renegotiate the terms of the contract.
