Why the U.S. Keeps Making These Blocky Buildings

In Philadelphia, a condo building popped up in 22 months, or half the time it would take typically. That’s thanks to modular construction, where individual units are built in a factory and then shipped and assembled on site. This technique could help reduce costs, time and labor, pivotal in a time when the construction industry is struggling from a worker shortage.

I visited one such factory to see the logistics and construction of these modules — and question how this technique can be used for the skyscrapers of the future.

0:00 Modular construction
0:48 How the factory works
1:53 Modular vs. traditional construction
3:57 The downfalls
4:50 What’s next for the industry?

I’m Jamie Leventhal, a WSJ video journalist who examines how we build, move and redesign our world to make it more efficient. Join me as I envision what our societies could look like, breaking down everything from megaproject constructions to complex shipping routes with experts in the field.

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