Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
strongtowns.org
Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
1–10 of 42 posts
Re: Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
#2So a compliant result that makes none of the involved parties truly happy and produces an outcome that no one would have ever asked for. California is very good at this.
Re: Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
#3So a compliant result that makes none of the involved parties truly happy and produces an outcome that no one would have ever asked for. California is very good at this.
This particular development is probably good. The problem is the invisible graveyard of all the other good things that never happened.
Re: Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
#4So a compliant result that makes none of the involved parties truly happy and produces an outcome that no one would have ever asked for. California is very good at this.
The picture of modular housing isn't at all what this project is going to look like. Yes, prefab does add some constraints but you only produce a building that looks like a stack of shipping containers if that's what you want.
And, is this development really so bad? There's a bunch of additional housing created; Costco gets their store built; we have mixed use, where a lot of people aren't going to need to take a car trip to do their shopping.
Re: Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
#5So a compliant result that makes none of the involved parties truly happy and produces an outcome that no one would have ever asked for. California is very good at this.
The picture of modular housing isn't at all what this project is going to look like. Yes, prefab does add some constraints but you only produce a building that looks like a stack of shipping containers if that's what you want. And, is this development really so bad? There's a bunch of additional housing created; Costco gets their store built; we have mixed use, where a lot of people aren't going to need to take a car…
> And, is this development really so bad?
It depends on how it's managed. If there _happens_ to be enough demand that people will accept it and pay a profitable rate, it might be just fine, but the cart is before the horse on this, so I wouldn't necessarily expect that outcome without other evidence to support it.
Re: Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
#6So a compliant result that makes none of the involved parties truly happy and produces an outcome that no one would have ever asked for. California is very good at this.
The picture of modular housing isn't at all what this project is going to look like. Yes, prefab does add some constraints but you only produce a building that looks like a stack of shipping containers if that's what you want. And, is this development really so bad? There's a bunch of additional housing created; Costco gets their store built; we have mixed use, where a lot of people aren't going to need to take a car…
[deleted]
Re: Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
#7So a compliant result that makes none of the involved parties truly happy and produces an outcome that no one would have ever asked for. California is very good at this.
The picture of modular housing isn't at all what this project is going to look like. Yes, prefab does add some constraints but you only produce a building that looks like a stack of shipping containers if that's what you want. And, is this development really so bad? There's a bunch of additional housing created; Costco gets their store built; we have mixed use, where a lot of people aren't going to need to take a car…
Buildings that could have been beautiful and enrich the city and the lives of tenants will end up being stack of containers to bypass government imposed minimum wage and endless regulations.
No wonder why soviet union buildings looked like a bland block of concrete.
If this is not a cautionary tale on the dangers of regulation, I don't know what is.
Congrats to Costco for finding a trick and getting things done, despite the government.
Re: Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
#8So a compliant result that makes none of the involved parties truly happy and produces an outcome that no one would have ever asked for. California is very good at this.
[deleted]
Re: Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
#9[deleted]
Re: Costco Broke into a Surprising New Market: Modular Housing
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
The picture of modular housing isn't at all what this project is going to look like. Yes, prefab does add some constraints but you only produce a building that looks like a stack of shipping containers if that's what you want. And, is this development really so bad? There's a bunch of additional housing created; Costco gets their store built; we have mixed use, where a lot of people aren't going to need to take a car…
Buildings that could have been beautiful and enrich the city and the lives of tenants will end up being stack of containers to bypass government imposed minimum wage and endless regulations. No wonder why soviet union buildings looked like a bland block of concrete. If this is not a cautionary tale on the dangers of regulation, I don't know what is. Congrats to Costco for finding a trick and getting things done, desp…
That is not what happens in practice. Typically you get stick and stucco construction with flat roofs, picking the cheapest possible labor and construction materials, while putting on drywall and paint to make it look attractive for the 10-15 years it will last until termites and rot set in to the fragile bones.
But it fools most people, and if you're wealthy you're going to move to a newer area before that 15 years is up anyways.