About

Dessau Modular is a custom homebuilder in eastern PA, focusing on off-site volumetric (modular) construction. Each year it becomes more apparent that there is a more efficient way to build a home than the way it has been done for the last 150 years. Modular makes this possible without compromise.

Our focus is on design-led homes who take their inspiration from modernist principles where form follows function results in truly beautiful places to live.

Our Name

Our name is a nod to the town that was home to the Bauhaus School in Germany: Dessau. The Bauhaus School had a significant impact on modular and prefabricated construction. Bauhaus, a German art and design school that existed from 1919 to 1933, advocated for a "total work of art" or Gesamtkunstwerk, which sought to harmonize art, architecture, and design. The school's approach was heavily influenced by the ideas of standardization and mass production, which led to a focus on modular and prefabricated construction methods. Bauhaus architects and designers sought to create buildings and objects that were both aesthetically pleasing and easily reproducible using industrial methods. This focus on standardization and modularity had a lasting influence on architecture and design and continues to shape contemporary approaches to building and construction.

Founder

Joe Jackson is the founder of Dessau Modular, a residential construction company created to bring clarity, efficiency, and reliability to the homebuilding process.

With 20 years in the construction industry, Joe’s experience spans projects of varying scale and complexity, from tenant fit-outs and residential multifamily buildings to large institutional developments. After earning a mechanical engineering degree from Villanova University, he advanced to a project manager at Turner Construction in the Boston and Philadelphia regions, followed by co-ownership role at Bracy Construction in Pennsylvania.

Throughout his career, Joe saw firsthand how labor shortages and fragmented coordination drive delays and cost overruns in traditional construction. That insight led him to focus on volumetric modular construction—an approach that shifts much of the work off-site, reduces complexity, and delivers greater schedule and cost certainty.

At Dessau Modular, Joe combines thoughtful design with a more reliable building process, helping clients build high-quality homes with fewer surprises and a better overall experience.

Where we work

Turnkey

Pennsylvania
Southern New Jersey
Finger Lakes region of New York

Set - Only

Northern New Jersey
New York & the Hamptons
Connecticut
Massachusetts, Cape Cod & the Islands
New Hampshire
Vermont (some Turnkey exceptions)
Maine

With modular construction, project tasks can take place in parallel resulting in a more efficient timeline when compared to the linear sequence of traditional construction.

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