The Offsite Construction Summit Returns To Denver Amid Rapid Industry Growth
An exclusive article from the Offsite Construction Network
The Offsite Construction Summit returned to Denver on September 18, 2024, with more attendees, more exhibitors, a module building tour, and an exclusive industry announcement from the State of Colorado. In short, the Summit—presented again by the Modular Building Institute—was Denver’s best offsite construction event yet.
A Spotlight on Affordable Modular Housing
The 2024 Denver Summit featured a wide variety of industry experts and government officials from across Colorado, the Mountain States, and the greater Western United States. Featured among them was a panel led by Adam Berger, founder of Adam Berger Development. Not only did Adam help start the day with his panel’s presentation, “Denver Case Studies in Modular Affordable Housing,” he helped end it with an afternoon tour of his company’s West Holden Place modular housing project.
“Our goal,” said Berger, “was to share the results of our work developing modular projects in Colorado for the past 8 years. Those results have helped us establish that through diligent planning modular construction can save money and time and deliver housing that people can afford, while also delivering a quality living environment.”
Through the tour of West Holden Place, he continued, “we hope attendees will have a better understanding of how much of a housing unit can be completed in the factory, as well as the quality of the finished specs. In other words, how well modular products can compete with stick-built products, and the relatively limited scope of site work required to complete a modular project.”
Two additional speakers, Justin Stewart of Synergy Modular and Denver-based architect Ken Puncerelli of LAI Design Group also presented that morning: Stewart followed Berger’s affordable housing theme with his own session entitled “Unlocking Modular Housing: A Modular Construction Success Story,” while Puncerelli shared the practical benefits of modular architecture in his session, “Modular by Design.”
Exploring Design for Manufacturing & Assembly
Following an extended break for lunch and opportunities to network with the Summit’s 40+ exhibitors, the afternoon started in earnest with a presentation by Michael Marzy, business development manager at offsite software provider hsdcad. The presentation, entitled “DfMA: What it is and Why it Matters,” broke down what “Design for Manufacturing & Assembly” is and shed light on how it can work, what it requires, and what it brings to the modular and offsite construction workflow.
“As a software company, we often receive questions on the complex topic of DfMA and hope that this short presentation shed some light on the subject,” said Marzy.
“In particular,” added Marzy, “I wanted to raise awareness of an issue without which efficient planning and building will not be possible in the future.”
Colorado Announces Millions More for Offsite Construction
The last session of the day featured another panel, this time a town hall-style discussion comprised of government representatives from the State of Colorado, as well as Jon Hannah-Spacagna, government affairs director for the Modular Building Institute.
The highlight of the session, however, was an announcement from Hilary Cooper, director of Innovative Funding for Housing Programs for Colorado’s Office of Economic Development & International Trade. Cooper announced that $24 million from the Proposition 123 Affordable Housing Financing Fund will prioritize funding housing projects that utilize products from Colorado-based, off-site housing manufacturers. This announcement was part of a broader effort to increase Colorado’s housing supply, lower housing prices and promote economic development by supporting the growth of off-site and innovative construction and modular housing factories.
“I can’t think of a better way to end the day’s last session than to announce millions more in funding opportunities for local manufacturers,” said Hannah-Spacagna. “Colorado is leading the nation in their support and adoption of modular construction, and I want to thank Hilary and the State of Colorado for their continued partnership with both the Summit and the Modular Building Institute.”
Another Outstanding Offsite Industry Event
Besides the speakers, the day was filled with ample opportunities for attendees to mingle with exhibitors—and for exhibitors to gather valuable leads.
Bob Schieler, Vice President of Sales at Homeway Commercial, was one of many exhibitors who left the Summit satisfied.
“Our conversations with attendees were engaging and informative, and we had great discussions about the challenges and opportunities in the industry,” said Schieler. “It’s clear there’s a strong interest in working together on offsite construction.”
Speaking about the state’s fast-growing industry, Schieler highlighted the benefits of this and recent Offsite Summits. “As an approved modular manufacturer in the state, we are currently working on a 138-guestroom hotel that's going to Boulder and exploring future opportunities in the Denver market and in the mountains. Events like the Offsite Construction Summit are pivotal in driving this growth by fostering collaboration and sharing best practices among industry stakeholders.”
One More Summit in 2024
The Offsite Construction Network caps its year again in Atlanta on November 20 as it looks to build on the excitement of its inaugural 2023 Summit and the success of this year’s events in Berkeley, Minneapolis, and Denver.
“I can’t wait to get back to Atlanta,” said Hannah-Spacagna. “We’ve been working with state and local officials there, as well, and I expect a lot of news coming out of Atlanta in the very near future. Don’t miss it!”
About the Author: John McMullen, PCM, is the marketing director for the Offsite Construction Network. You can reach him at mcmullen@hardimanwilliams.com.
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