A modular elevator from Modular Elevator Manufacturing, Inc. (MEM) has been installed at Jesuit High School in Carmichael, CA, greatly improving the building’s accessibility. Jesuit High School is a Jesuit, Catholic, college preparatory, private high school that serves the greater Sacramento area. As part of a campus modernization project, the school added a MEM modular elevator connecting the main floor to the second floor. MEM’s product was specified because it was a more cost-effective solution than a conventional elevator, which requires more complicated infrastructure and installation. The holeless design requires less on-site construction, greatly minimizing project costs. Priced below conventional elevator systems, the product installs in one day and requires very little maintenance. Aesthetically, the modular elevator blended in with the existing design at Jesuit High School with a customized full brick veneer exterior. The MEM elevator is made from nonproprietary, high-quality components featuring state of the art digital controls, a fully equipped steel car and a fully pre-assembled elevator tower constructed from welded tubular steel. “With the addition of the modular elevator at Jesuit High School, students, teachers, staff and visitors have improved accessibility and reliability,” says Tom Shield, President and Founder of MEM. “One alumnus thought our elevator was always there and was very surprised to find out it was a new addition because it seamlessly blended in with the school’s architecture.” “We specified a modular elevator rather than a conventional elevator because it was an economical choice in terms of cost and time constraints,” explains Brian Whitmore, AIA, Associate Principal, Williams + Paddon Architects. “The school was pleased with the final result, which assimilated well with the campus buildings.” MEM’s factory preinstalled elevators are built in a freestanding, rated or non-rated structural steel elevator tower. Before installation, an elevator pit is prepared with anchor bolt imbeds to ensure precise placement. The elevator is then delivered to the job site on a flatbed truck, picked up with a crane, set in place and anchored. The product can be fully operational just two days after delivery. MEM’s elevators meet the requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act and ASME A17.1, the latest edition of elevator specifications set by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Renovation on the school began in July 2008 and was completed in October 2009. The project team included Williams + Paddon Architects, Roseville, CA as the architect, and Roebbelen Contracting Inc., El Dorado Hills, CA as the general contractor.