2015-09-15

Morgantown's Courtyard by Marriott Pods Have Arrived!

The Mills Group is overseeing the construction administration for the Courtyard by Marriott which is under construction at the University Town Center. This modern hotel is utilizing “pods” to outfit the building’s bathrooms. Each pod is a fully equipped and designed bathroom which contains a shower/tub surround, a toilet, sink and its associated fittings. By utilizing a prefabricated unit for the bathrooms, the general contractor, Waller Corporation, is able to better control the quality and potential cost overruns of the product.

The transportation and placement of each of these pods are a display in logistical planning and execution. The pods are loaded from the facility into the truck with precision, of course, but also arranged so that they may be taken into each room in the exact direction that they will remain once plumbed. There is little room for error, as you can see in the seven inches of spare room between the pod sides and the truck.

The movement of the pods from the truck to the site is a fluid motion. Over-sized pallet jacks are used to pull the Pod from the truck and onto the crane and which then lifts and places the pod into the building. A seamless team of two men roll the POD into the building using the pallet jacks which are then slid alongside of the Pod once set in place, and take the ride to get the next bathroom.

Prefab POD Manufacturer: Oldcastle Modular

Contractor: Waller Corporation

Architect: Mills Group

Project Manager: Kellie Cole, AIA