Inside AMS Engineering: Where Better School Projects Begin
Come Inside AMS Engineering
Before a classroom is built, before a module enters production, AMS engineers are solving hundreds of decisions that shape how a project will perform. That’s where every successful modular project begins.
Because that early work shapes everything that follows, and to keep pace with a growing number of projects, American Modular Systems recently expanded its engineering department by approximately 4,000 square feet. The investment creates more space for collaboration, new technology for virtual design reviews, and even stronger connections between engineering, manufacturing, and project teams across California.
Take a behind-the-scenes look inside the expanded engineering department and see how engineering moves a project from concept to finished classroom.
Engineering Is Where Projects Take Shape
The AMS engineering team develops structural systems, coordinates details across disciplines, and prepares drawings for DSA review before manufacturing begins. That work lays the foundation for smoother reviews and fewer surprises later in the project.
Because AMS maintains the largest DSA Pre-Check design library in California, many projects begin with designs that have already established a strong foundation for review, helping reduce review cycles, streamline approvals, and give districts greater confidence in their project schedule.
It’s really about collaboration. That’s the main thing here. We did the expansion to bring engineering into one space. Our primary focus is being able to finish it here. I don’t want to just push it out into the field.
SCOTT WADE
Director of Engineering
American Modular Systems
Why Engineering and Manufacturing Work Better Together
Rather than passing drawings between separate companies, AMS engineers can walk directly onto the manufacturing floor, answer questions in real time, and work through challenges before they become delays.
That close coordination helps preserve the architect’s design intent, improve communication, and ensure what’s manufactured reflects the approved drawings.
Investing in Engineering
That investment strengthens AMS’s ability to support every kind of school project. Whether a district is adapting a DSA Pre-Check design or developing a fully custom campus, the expanded engineering team provides the expertise and capacity to keep projects moving forward as they grow in size and complexity.
It was important to us to live what we build. That was one of the primary inspirations to expand. We wanted an office that reflects who we are as a company, and where we want to be with the product we’re building.
DAVID SARICH
Program Manager
American Modular Systems
Why It Matters
Most clients won’t spend much time thinking about where the engineering team sits. They notice the results. Projects keep moving, and timelines stay predictable.
A DSA Pre-Check head start and tight coordination between engineering and manufacturing help streamline approvals and give districts greater confidence in their project schedule.
American Modular Systems has operated from the same facility for more than two decades. The recent expansion, designed by Tony Sarich, brought the engineering team into one collaborative space built around exactly this kind of coordination.
See It for Yourself
The best way to understand the process is to see it in action.
I wanted, at any given time, a client to be able to walk through our factory and have confidence in the product that’s going to come out of that facility.
DAVID SARICH
Program Manager
American Modular Systems
Join us for a factory tour and meet the people behind every AMS project. You’ll see how ideas move from engineering to manufacturing and experience firsthand how collaboration under one roof helps deliver better outcomes.
Ready to schedule a visit? Explore our Factory Tour program and experience the process firsthand.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Answered