Paul Nielsen, Operations Manager at Swinerton in our Atlanta Office recently wrote an article for Commercial Construction & Renovation about the use of prefab and modular construction at our 640 Peachtree project.

This new dual-branded Courtyard Marriot and Element by Westin hotels will be a 14-story, 290,515 SF building with 282 guestrooms and suites in Midtown Atlanta. The upscale hotels will be located on the southwest corner of the famed intersection of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue. This is the first-ever combination of these brands under one roof with 154-room Courtyard and 128-room Element.

The Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Midtown will feature smart, casual decor, communal lobby spaces, and modern conveniences to accommodate guests multi-tasking, 24/7 lifestyle. The Element by Westin Atlanta Midtown will feature nature-inspired spaces, fully-equipped kitchens, spa-inspired bathrooms, and programs to stay active.

In addition to the hotel, there will be five-stories of integrated parking with 185 spaces for guests and public parking.

Prefab and modular construction were chosen for this project to improve safety, cost, schedule, and quality.  Safety is the No.1 priority for Swinerton.  Prefabrication is a solution for lowering the fall risk of workers, materials and equipment from the jobsite.  This practice helps protect our partners, our community and the overall safety of a construction site.

All precast panels for this project are being cast in Alabama, while the exterior CFMF panels are being made in nearby Suwanee, Georgia, just 35 miles from the project.

The demand for prefab and modular construction is growing exponentially.  Once stigmatized as a low-end and mass-produced mod of construction, the quality and subsequent benefits of this method have improved substantially and are making inroads to changing this perception.  In fact, the use of modular construction is expected to increase by 6% globally by 2022, as an increasing number of companies looking to take advantage of its benefits.