Denver Modular Project Wins Global Award, Heralds Housing Solution

DENVER, CO – May 06, 2026 – A six-story apartment building in Denver’s Sun Valley neighborhood has captured the global spotlight, signaling a potential turning point in the fight for attainable urban housing. West Holden Place, a project by Adam Berger Development LLC, was awarded first place at the 2026 World of Modular conference, besting international competition and validating modular construction as a high-quality, scalable solution to the housing crisis.

The project earned the top honor in the Permanent Modular Multifamily Over 10,000 Square Feet category from the Modular Building Institute (MBI), the leading international trade association for the industry. The award is more than a plaque on the wall; it’s a powerful endorsement of an approach that promises to build more housing, faster and more affordably.

"This award is especially meaningful because of the level of international competition," said Adam Berger, Principal of Adam Berger Development LLC. "West Holden Place was designed to prove that modular construction can be a practical and scalable solution for delivering much-needed attainable housing in our communities. Recognition from the MBI... affirms that modular, when done right, can compete at the highest level."

A New Blueprint for Urban Housing

At its core, West Holden Place is a 77-unit, LEED Gold-certified multifamily community. But its construction tells a story of radical efficiency. Built using a five-over-one podium design, the building’s residential components were manufactured off-site as 50 distinct modules. These factory-built units were then transported to the site and assembled in a remarkably short span: just seven days.

This method represents a paradigm shift from traditional construction. By moving the bulk of the building process into a controlled factory environment, modular development mitigates weather delays, improves quality control, and dramatically compresses timelines. Research indicates modular projects can be completed up to 40% faster than their site-built counterparts, with Adam Berger Development estimating cost savings in the range of 20-25%.

This efficiency is not just about speed; it's about predictability. In an industry often plagued by cost overruns and schedule slips, the modular process provides a greater degree of certainty, a critical factor when developing affordable housing. The success of West Holden Place demonstrates a maturity in the process, requiring careful coordination between design, factory production, and on-site logistics—a system Adam Berger Development has spent a decade perfecting.

Tackling the “Missing Middle” Crisis

Beyond its technical innovation, West Holden Place addresses a critical social need in Denver: housing for the "missing middle." This demographic includes teachers, healthcare workers, and other essential professionals who earn too much to qualify for traditional subsidized housing but are often priced out of the city’s competitive rental market.

The project tackles this gap head-on. Forty percent of its units are deed-restricted for residents earning 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Crucially, this was achieved without relying on the highly competitive Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), a common but limited source of funding for affordable projects. Instead, the development leveraged innovative financing through the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority's (CHFA) Middle-income Access Program.

"West Holden Place demonstrates innovation both in how it was built and how it's funded, leveraging modular technology as well as financing through CHFA's Middle-income Access Program to support affordable middle-income rental housing," said Thomas Bryan, executive director and CEO of CHFA.

Situated in a transit-oriented location near I-25 and a light rail station, the development provides not just shelter, but access to the economic and cultural opportunities of the city, contributing to a more equitable and sustainable urban fabric.

A Model of Public-Private Collaboration

The project's success was not achieved in a vacuum. It stands as a testament to the power of public-private partnerships. Collaboration between Adam Berger Development and a host of key partners—including the City of Denver, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), and CHFA—was instrumental in bringing the project to fruition.

State officials have lauded the development as a model for Colorado. "Modular is a critical option for building affordable housing in Colorado, and Adam Berger Development is a leader in our state in utilizing modular construction to develop affordable housing faster and at a lower cost," said Maria De Cambra, Executive Director of DOLA. "I'm so pleased that they are being recognized on the national stage for their important work here."

This collaborative spirit is becoming institutionalized. Recent legislation, such as SB25-002, aims to streamline the approval process for factory-built structures statewide, removing regulatory redundancies that previously added time and cost to modular projects. This policy-level support creates a fertile ground for innovation to flourish, positioning Colorado as a national leader in addressing housing challenges.

Colorado's Bet on a Modular Future

The award for West Holden Place is not a culminating achievement but a milestone in a much larger journey. Adam Berger Development is already advancing a robust pipeline of new modular communities across the Denver metro area, signaling a deep commitment to scaling this solution.

Forthcoming projects include Teller Place, a 54-unit building in Arvada, and Cherokee Place, a 58-unit community in Englewood, both aimed at providing attainable rental housing for households across the middle-income spectrum. Perhaps most notably, the firm is partnering with the State of Colorado's Public-Private Partnership (P3) Collaboration Unit for a project on state-owned land across from the Governor's Mansion.

This P3 unit, established in 2022, is designed specifically to leverage private sector innovation for public good, with affordable housing as a primary objective. The partnership with a proven modular developer like Adam Berger Development on such a high-profile site underscores the state's strategic bet on this construction method. As these new projects break ground, they will build upon the award-winning legacy of West Holden Place, continuing to refine a model that could reshape how cities provide housing for their residents.