ABSTRACT
This chapter, at the heart of the book, is an illustrated and detailed explanation of how intermodal modular architecture works. At Global Building Modules, from 2005 to 2007, a team of architects and engineers created a system around what is called the Volumetric Unit of Construction, or VUC. The VUC transcends numerous limitations of repurposed shipping containers, having been reengineered for optimal performance as an integrated stackable high-rise modular system with extensive design flexibility while retaining essential dimensional standards for intermodal transport. The technical aspects of the “Volumetric Unit of Construction” or “VUC” are presented along with examples that demonstrate the application of the VUC to housing design. Three principles are examined: Principle #6: Use Intermodal Standards, but Don’t Use Shipping Containers, which is the basis for the VUC; Principle #7: Spatially Indeterminate Modular Planning, which frees residential layouts from the dimensional limitations of an 8×40-foot module; and Principle #8: Component Assembly, which extends modularity to systems and subsystems, enabling supply chain just-in-time manufacturing along the lines of other advanced industries.
