Denver's largest high-density modular apartment project is complete, delivering documented savings of up to 25% in construction costs and compressing schedules by an estimated 40%-outcomes that have already triggered state-level regulatory reform aimed at scaling the approach across Colorado.
Background
Farrington Construction Management completed West Holden Place in June 2025, making it the largest high-density modular multifamily housing project in the City of Denver. The six-story, 77-unit development is located in Denver's Sun Valley neighborhood and targets households earning 80-120% of area median income (AMI), offering one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 500 to 1,000 square feet. Adam Berger Development served as owner, developer, architect, and general contractor-a vertically integrated model the firm says is central to controlling costs and timelines.
West Holden Place was financed through a public-private collaboration involving the City and County of Denver, the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA), and the Colorado Division of Housing (CDOH). It is also one of six housing developments in the Sun Valley area supported by the Denver Housing Authority's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) Grant and the D3 Bond Fund.
Colorado faces an estimated affordable housing gap of between 106,000 and 180,000 homes. According to the Modular Building Institute (MBI), a Virginia-based trade group, modular construction can shorten project timelines by 30-50% compared to conventional builds.
Details
The performance figures at West Holden Place rank among the most concrete data points yet reported for high-density modular construction in the Denver market. Adam Berger Development reported the project saved an estimated 20-25% in hard construction costs and reduced the construction schedule by at least 40% compared to traditional site-built methods. The on-site assembly phase was particularly compressed: the construction team delivered and set 50 factory-built modules in just seven days. Running site preparation and factory fabrication simultaneously-a parallel workflow not possible in conventional sequential construction-made this pace achievable.
"The north star for us, whether modular or site-built, is creating a high-quality living experience," Adam Berger, founder of Adam Berger Development, said in a statement. Eric Farrington, owner of Farrington Construction Management, stated that modular construction came in "significantly under cost and timeline compared to conventional builds."
The project's completion coincided with a significant legislative development. On May 9, 2025, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed SB25-002-the Regional Building Codes for Factory-Built Structures bill-at West Holden Place. The bill removes regulatory redundancies for factory-built structures, including modular multifamily housing and tiny homes, and eliminates separate oversight by the state plumbing board, electrical board, and fire suppression administrator once the Colorado State Housing Board adopts related rules. Senators Jeff Bridges and Tony Exum co-sponsored the legislation alongside Representatives Andrew Boesenecker and Rebekah Stewart.
"By removing outdated regulatory barriers, this bill empowers more efficient, more cost-effective housing developments like West Holden Place to move forward faster," Berger said.
Colorado's state-level investment in the sector has been substantial. The state has dedicated more than $70 million from Proposition 123-which Colorado voters passed in 2022-to support the construction of 1,339 housing units. The state's OEDIT Innovative Housing Incentive grant program has supported an additional 1,029 units, while the Department of Local Affairs has financed eight modular projects totaling 89 units.
Outlook
Adam Berger Development has two additional modular multifamily projects in development in Colorado: a 54-unit Teller Street project for households earning 80-120% AMI and a 58-unit South Cherokee project targeting households earning 60-120% AMI. Both are expected to benefit directly from the streamlined regulatory framework introduced by SB25-002. However, industry participants note that financing structures and supply chain logistics-particularly the permitting required to transport large modules through dense urban environments-remain challenges that must be resolved before the model can scale broadly nationwide. Farrington Construction Management has stated it intends to expand its modular multifamily portfolio while continuing conventional construction work.
