Development across sectors will rely more on prefabrication of building components, says Skanska project exec Marty Corrado—think bathroom pods in a hospital or apartment tower. It's gaining popularity because it promotes collaboration among the design team, building owner/developer, and contractor while improving safety on the construction site and enhancing the structure's quality.

Building components can be built in a temperature-controlled warehouse while the building's frame goes up, creating potentially significant schedule savings, he says. Here's bathroom pods for Alliance Medical Center in Fort Worth, essentially complete and ready to transport for installation. (Yeah, but where were they when we were stuck in traffic on I-35?) The 146k SF medical center is targeted for a 2014 completion. Among the other prefab components: headwalls, sinkwalls, and footwalls.