Modular coordination

Modular coordination is a way of setting out a building’s main dimensions, grid lines and components as multiples of a shared unit. In international practice the basic module is usually 100 mm, written as M, with multiples such as 3M, 6M and 12M used for planning grids. The aim is for factory-made windows, panels, blocks and ceiling tiles to fall into place on site without being cut down.

Why it matters

In a project with arbitrary dimensions, every window, board and wall section is cut and adjusted on site, which means waste and lost time. In a building designed on a modular grid, components are ordered in standard sizes and simply fit together. The benefit is greatest in prefabricated construction, curtain walls, suspended ceilings and office fit-outs. Modular coordination does not restrict design; it gives proportion and rhythm a solid framework to work with. The key decision, made early, is whether grid lines or finished faces are tied to the module.

From a modelling point of view

A project built on a modular grid is also much easier to model in 3D. Repeated facade elements become components, and a single change updates the whole building at once. That order carries through to the rendering stage, making clean and consistent facades far easier to achieve.