SHENZHEN, China, April 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The annual World of Modular Conference (2024 World of Modular) was successfully held in Orlando, Florida, USA between 18th and 21st March. CIMC Modular Building System Holding Co. Ltd ("CIMC MBS"), a subsidiary of CIMC Group, stood out from nearly 200 candidate projects due to its outstanding performance in innovation, "green" modular construction, and marketing, winning two international awards of distinction.
The World of Modular Conference is organized by the Modular Building Institute (MBI), the leading association for the modular building industry in the world.
This annual event is an important platform for the promotion and co-operation between modular construction industry professionals. The event attracted approximately 1,500 participants, including representatives from governments, institutions, architectural designers, developers, and construction contractors from more than 30 countries such as North America, Europe, Asia, Africa. Victor Zhu, Managing Director of CIMC MBS, was invited to attend the conference and engaged in extensive exchanges and interactions with government departments, industry experts, and representatives of relevant enterprises.
MBI’s modular building Awards of Distinction are presented annually, traditionally on the final evening of its World of Modular conference and trade show. Modular building awards are presented for 25 categories. Based on multiple criteria such as architectural excellence, technological innovation, sustainability, and delivery efficiency. Judged by American industry experts and voted on by attendees, representing the highest honor awarded by global modular construction industry.
In the end, CIMC MBS stood out among nearly 200 candidate projects. The project it participated in, "citizenM Hotel Menlo Park" won the "First Place – Permanent Modular Hotel" award, thanks to its advantages in innovative application of smart technology, excellent construction quality, high seismic resistance, low energy consumption, and sustainability. This project serves as an efficient model for global urban innovation, low-carbon communities, and creating livable cities.
Note: Project Overview: The citizenM Menlo Park Hotel, developed by the internationally renowned chain hotel brand citizenM, is located in Silicon Valley, USA, adjacent to the headquarters of Google, Meta, Apple, and Stanford University, among other world-renowned companies and universities. The hotel, with a total of 5 floors, consists of 161 modules. It is worth mentioning that the hotel project is located in California, USA, in the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is a high seismic intensity zone in the United States, with extremely high requirements for various aspects of building performance. The project relies entirely on the modules themselves to resist seismic forces, with a seismic fortification intensity of Grade E, completely unaffected by the seismic zone where the hotel is located. Additionally, in terms of environmental protection, the project is designed and constructed in accordance with the Gold-level requirements of the US LEED green building certification. CIMC MBS completes more than 90% of the modular fit out process in the factory, significantly reducing material consumption and carbon emissions, and reducing noise and dust pollution on-site, thus minimizing the impact on surrounding communities and the environment.
At the same time, the "United Court Transitional Housing Project at Tung Tau, Yuen Long" project, with its advantages such as over 90% factory prefabrication, efficient construction (from start to finish in just 12 months, while the average construction period for public housing is 4.1 years), energy conservation, low carbon, and mobility, won the "First Place – Relocatable Modular Social & Supportive Housing" award. This project provides a Chinese solution to the urban housing crisis that exists globally today, attracting high attention from international peers in the industry.
Note: Project Overview: Housing is currently one of the highest priority issues in Hong Kong society. Increasing transitional housing is one of the policy measures of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to improve grassroots living and support vulnerable communities. The United Court Transitional Housing Project is the first fully completed and operational transitional housing project in Hong Kong, consisting of 2,076 building modules with a construction area of 37,221 square meters. In terms of overall layout, different room types are designed, including single, double, triple, 4-5 person, and suitable for people with disabilities, totaling 1,800 units, to meet the needs of different families and individuals. Inside each room, corresponding living facilities are provided according to people’s daily living needs. The housing has a service life of up to 50 years. Its durability and mobility make it cost less than traditional housing. Modular construction is not affected by weather conditions, and it is also ideal in terms of progress management, quality control, and safe construction, saving more than 50% of construction time compared to traditional construction methods, which can effectively help Hong Kong quickly build transitional housing and efficiently alleviate housing pressure. According to the local government’s plan, the project will be relocated to another project site in five years. Due to the mobility of the modular construction system, it can meet the government’s flexible planning for land use, reuse the modules, and relocate to a new location for continued use, which also conforms to the green and sustainable environmental protection concept.
"We are extremely honored that both projects have been recognized and awarded the championship prize for the year 2024 by the organizing committee and judges. This is the result of the concerted efforts and cooperation of all parties involved. It reflects CIMC Group’s commitment to building industry leading products and is also a strong endorsement and recognition of CIMC MBS’s innovation and quality," said Mr. Victor Zhu, Managing Director of CIMC MBS. "This is not only an honor but also a responsibility. We will uphold the core values of CIMC, ‘Achieving Customer Success with Integrity and Honesty,’ and relentlessly strive to enhance the level of new quality productivity, provide customers with high-quality products and services, offer people a better, greener, and smarter living space, promote the transformation and upgrading of the construction industry, and make more valuable contributions to the sustainable and high-quality development of the industry and society."