why are compounds built in static locations?

[mizzou]

I mean, this may bode with alot of institutions (school, prison), but wouldn't it be more logical to have these all as "mobile" areas?

You get 1,000 new visitors, expand the fence out to allow 1,000 more square feet, add one mobile guard tower.

Your area has a sudden "Decrease" in visitors, remove some of the fence and disassemble un-used guard towers. Store parts or send them to more needed areas.

Obviously this is a ridiculously simple scenario, but you could use it for "housing" "kitchen" etc.

I just don't see the point of building something that goes un-used or exceeds capacity.

 

[PolymerTim]

I'm not sure I entirely understand your question, but I think you should consider the cost of modifying your building or grounds. I mean, how much did it really cost the prison to have a little extra area fenced in and an extra guard tower versus the effort to modify the fence and disassemble the tower. There's something to be said for flexible bldgs, but I don't see any decent advantages in the examples you give.

 

[Train]

the military has modular structures such as you describe. Which include both dentention facilities and kitchens like you suggested, as well as entire hospitals, among many other types.

I've seen the army kitchen that was assembled using pre-fabbed trailers that all connected to eachother, one had a prep area, another a grill, another friers, another for cleaning pots and pans, etc. They all linked together so that you only had to hook up gas and electric in one spot and your cooking. It was big anoug to feed a regiment and could be tore down and moved in less than a day.

I havent seen the modular hospital in person but have seen them on discovery/military channel, pretty much same concept, pre-fabbed trailers that get put together on site.

EDIT:

however the reason for these structures is not to maximize capacity or to minimize unused space like you mentioned, but instead to provide mobile logistics. I.E. you need to send an army to BFE tomorow, said army will need food and medical care, you dont have time to wait until a hospital and chow hall get built, so you ship in these insta-structures and your set. Then the day after you decide army needs to move 100 miles to the west. They take the hospital and chow hall with them...

 

[CycloWizard]

I think the simple reason is cost. Designing modular anything will always cost more than designing an equivalent static something. In a simple cost analysis, one can only use currently available information, so the benefits of modularity wouldn't factor in (since they are unknown). If there were some model that accurately predicted future demand for x, then one could account for this when deciding to build y. Since this is generally not possible, we estimate what the demand will be and draw the line in the sand there, perhaps allowing some factor of safety in the design to allow for higher/lower demand.

 

[Braznor]

Anything built anywhere given enough time will always exceed capacity!

 

[Markbnj]

It probably has a lot to do with building codes as well. By the time you get anything permitted these days the design is locked in stone.

 

[Nathelion]

I imagine that flimsy temporary buildings would be easier to escape from, in the case of prisons.

 

[spikespiegal]

I believe I've seen several news reports where some south-western states are in fact using out-door, tent based modular prisons to increase capacity

Obviously not maximum security, but it is saving money with infrastructure and works just fine (according to the wardens) for housing low risk inmates. However, a significant cost with housing convicts comes mostly from medical care, food/supplies, guards, etc. The physical infrastructure is a one time cost.

Won't work with hospitals because of the need for environment controls.

For schools, it would work best for states with good climates. Here in Michigan though it's currently 5F, and the cost of heating a modular infrastructure would likely exceed any benefit of reduced building cost.

Still, many corporate offices are moving into large, campus style 'people warehouses' to reduce cost and save space, and this concept would likely work superbly for schools. A lot of charter schools here are moving to such a scheme to modernize away from the classic 'brick room' school concept.