Compton College Student Housing Groundbreaking

Compton College has officially broken ground on California’s first volumetric modular student housing project under the Division of the State Architect (DSA) – marking a major milestone in modular campus buildings. This pioneering project uses volumetric modular construction, where fully finished room modules are fabricated off‑site and assembled on campus. The method is expected to drastically reduce construction time, minimize on-site disruption, and ensure high-quality, factory-controlled finishes.

Fabrication and assembly will allow parallel on-site civil and utilities work, enabling faster overall delivery than conventional methods. The complex will provide much-needed housing for students, particularly benefitting those struggling with affordability and commuting challenges. It offers a supportive, campus-integrated environment that fosters academic success, community, and equity. This project is the first volumetric modular student housing to receive DSA approval in California, positioning Compton College as a leader in innovative campus solutions. Its success could serve as a replicable model for other colleges in the state and beyond.

“We’re here today at the groundbreaking for the Compton Community College School District student housing project. This is the first DSA approved modular student housing project in LA county on a community campus. So we’re excited to be here. We’re happy and honored to be a part of this project – Bernards takes pride in the projects that we do and to be a part of a student housing that is a desperate need for our students in our community to thrive and to succeed. We’re just honored to be a part of it and be the selected builder. Today at the groundbreaking ceremony the crowd was electric. The energy here was high, it was great to see all the community members elected officials here in droves here to celebrate something remarkable in the state of California. One of the benefits of modular construction is the off-site approach, this allows us to continue work and expedite the on-site work while the offsite factory components are being built in a factory. One of the awesome parts about volumetric modular is these components are being shipped fully furnished. Down to the doors locked, you get interior paint, interior finishes, interior appliances, completely done. Once they land on site, we have about a 6 week set phase. After that set phase, we’re making connections wrapping the building with exterior and it really helps expedite the schedule. Here at Compton College, schedule is important. They have a completion date of Summer 2027 which I think the whole team thinks we could beat.”