Haskell harnessed the transformative power of modular design-build.

The 10,000-square-foot Helena, Montana, temple project pioneered the use of modular delivery to meet the growing demand for temples worldwide. Haskell’s commitment to quality assurance and control was displayed in multiple intricate mock-ups and trial setups. These sample pieces demonstrated that actual construction would meet the client’s stringent quality standards. The completion of the Helena temple laid the foundation for the use of volumetric modular construction, also referred to as DMI (design, manufacture, install) project delivery, with large repeatable and replicable programs.

Safety, quality and innovation set Haskell apart in modular design-build delivery.

• The design of approximately 25 individual modules with a comprehensive checklist/detailed guide ensured that all components were manufactured to the client’s exacting design standards.
• Safety measures included a hoist for the largest chandelier to eliminate the use of ladders for maintenance; ceiling access was created to reach equipment and mechanical spaces more easily; a secure network of ladders, grades and handrails was created inside the spire.
• Structural requirements for towers, exoskeletons and stones incorporated complex tasks, integrating cutting-edge technology with traditional construction means and methods.
• The temple’s exterior design incorporates flower and leaf designs of the buttercup plant, drawing upon principles of Native American geometric patterns and complementing local architecture. The primary exterior decorative band marks the difference between building and sky, and decorative art glass is divided into three parts to reflect the buttercup’s roots, buds and stems, and the whole flower. The glass edge creates a blue border to the window, a reference to Native American beadwork; the entry portico, with its low arch, references the Richardsonian-Romanesque entry of Helena’s Power Building.
• Interior carpets feature an organic pattern that ties back to nature. Decorative paint represents the buttercup, mirroring the exterior motif in green, blue and neutral colors with 22-karat gold leaf. Millwork includes a traditional base, wainscot and crown in each room, enhanced by a structural vertical element known as a lesene.
• Temple finishes have little to no tolerances at the substrate level in many spaces where finishes go from hard surface to hard surface
• The project design was modified, including lighting levels and timing, to ensure residents’ comfort and to address night driving concerns.
• Printing decorative paint onto a canvas and shipping it to the project site for installation eliminated the need for on-site artisans, increasing efficiency, saving time and maintaining aesthetics and quality.

The Helena temple proved the advantages of design, manufacture, install project delivery.

Haskell successfully implemented modular construction and innovative solutions to deliver the Helena temple six months faster than a traditional stick-built project. Completed mostly off-site with the ability to scale non-linearly, it is the cornerstone of Haskell’s DMI initiative and demonstrates the ability to deliver complex projects efficiently and cost-effectively.

The Helena temple project received the 2023 ABC Florida First Coast Eagle Award and 2023 Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) National Award of Merit.