Offsite Construction News & Articles
The Offsite Construction Network features exclusive articles and interviews from the leading voices in the offsite construction industry. In addition, the Offsite Construction Network features news and headlines from around the offsite industry, including modular construction, prefabricated buildings, tiny homes, and more.
Latest Offsite Industry News
National Institue of Building Sciences Announces Building Innovation 2024 Schedule
The conference will kicks off with the NIBS 50th Anniversary General Session, featuring partners and members with the US Department of Housing & Urban Development, General Services Administration, Fannie Mae, and more. The first day of BI2024 will conclude with a Golden Anniversary Reception. Read more.
Canada's First 3D Printed Multi-Unit Homes
A collaboration between CMHC’s housing innovation team, Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex, the University of Windsor, the Town of Leamington and Nidus3D construction printing has resulted in Canada’s first 3D printed multi-unit residential structure. Read more.
Autodesk, Nemetschek Agree on Greater Interoperability for Design and Construction Software
Autodesk Inc. (BIM) agreed to an interoperability agreement with the Nemetschek Group April 24 to improve open collaboration and efficiency for both companies' architecture, engineering, construction and operations tools, as well as their media and entertainment products. Read more.
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Exclusive Articles & Interviews
The Offsite Construction Summit Returns To Denver Amid Industry Growth
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.
Offsite Construction Summit Spotlights Fast-Growing Industry in Minnesota
Manufacturers, designers, and developers from across the Upper Midwest were joined by industry veterans and newcomers alike for the inaugural Offsite Construction Summit in downtown Minneapolis on June 20, 2024. This full-day Summit offered a full day of networking, education, and, in many respects, celebration of the quickly-growing—and much needed—modular construction industry in and around the city.
The Offsite Construction Summit Returns to Berkeley Bringing Industry Leadership, Education
Offsite construction industry stakeholders and potential end-users from around California gathered again in Berkeley for the latest Offsite Construction Summit. Hosted by the University of California – Berkeley on June 5, this first Summit of 2024 offered a full day of invaluable networking and discussion about the potential—and urgent need—for modular and offsite construction in California, around the West Coast, and even Hawai’i.
Manufacturers, Developers & Stakeholders Convene in Atlanta for Offsite Construction Summit
Offsite construction manufacturers and developers connected with industry stakeholders and potential end-users in Atlanta, GA, during the final Offsite Construction Summit of 2023. Held at the Georgia International Convention Center on November 15 and presented by the Offsite Construction Network and the Modular Building Institute, this Summit offered a full day of invaluable networking and discussion about the potential for modular and offsite construction in Georgia and up and down the East Coast.
The Offsite Construction Summit Gathers the Industry in Berkeley to Tackle Housing Crisis
Offsite construction industry stakeholders and potential end-users of all stripes gathered in Berkeley, CA, for the Offsite Construction Summit on October 18, 2023. Hosted by the University of California – Berkeley, this latest Summit offered a full day of invaluable networking and discussion about the potential for modular and offsite construction in California and up and down the West Coast.
The Offsite Construction Summit Offers Affordable Housing Ideas, Solutions in Denver
Boasting over 220 attendees from across the industry, the Offsite Construction Network’s popular annual visit to Denver was a huge success. “It was a fantastic event,” said executive director Tom Hardiman. “Offsite and modular construction is booming in Colorado right now. This Summit was a great opportunity to directly connect industry stakeholders and regional end-users.”
Tiny Homes Can Now Be Permanent Residences in Colorado
Colorado Rep. Cathy Kipp discusses the passage of Colorado’s HB22-1242 and how it impacts the tiny home industry–and residents–in Colorado.
Stack Homes: Entering the World of Modular Construction
Stack Homes CEO sits down with the Offsite Construction Network to talk about entering the world residential modular construction
The Offsite Construction Expo Brings Ideas, Opportunities to Toronto
With enthusiasm and engagement throughout the day, the Offsite Construction Network’s first event in Toronto felt entirely too short. “It was a fantastic event,” said executive director Tom Hardiman. “There’s so much excitement for modular construction in Toronto, it was great to help connect the attendees with these industry leaders right in their own backyard.”
Azure: Creating Affordable and Sustainable Housing with 3D Printing
Azure Printed Homes is currently developing a community of affordable housing units using 3D Printing technology.
Huga: Reconstructing the Public’s Opinion of Modular Housing
Argentina-based Huga Technology is a family business with four generations of experience building residential and commercial units.
Casata’s Microhome Communities: Changing the Landscape of Affordable Housing
Texas-based Casata Corp recently introduced a new living option, affordable microhome communities, redefining what it means to live small.
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More Offsite Industry News
Cosmic Set to Produce Prefabricated ADUs in California with Water Recycling and Solar Energy
San Francisco-based Cosmic has raised $1.5 million in funding for their micro-home product designs aimed at bringing “self-sustainable homes in California and beyond. Read more.
Colleges Developing Off-Campus Alternatives for Student Housing
Demand for student housing, both on and off-campus, greatly exceeds supply at many universities, so the asset class has emerged over the past two decades as an unlikely real estate kingmaker. Read more.
Swinton Deploys Tech on $98M North Carolina Mixed-use Mass Timber Build
The builder attached 3D modeling devices on workers’ helmets to collect data for virtual twins, documentation, reference and planning. The structure will also feature heavy mass timber use. Read more.
80 New Tiny-Home Units Set to Open in Santa Barbara
The finishing touches are being put on the newest Dignity Moves tiny home housing program at 4500 Hollister Ave. in Santa Barbara. Read more.
LaPhair Capital Partners, an innovation focused, early-stage investment firm today announced the acquisition of Kinexx Modular Construction (Kinexx), a pioneer in modular building solutions. Read more.
New ICC/MBI Standard Focuses on MEP Elements Used in Off-Site Construction
The International Code Council (ICC), the global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions, in partnership with the Modular Building Institute (MBI), the international non-profit trade association serving modular construction. Read more.
Homes designed to meet the Department of Energy’s Net-Zero Energy Ready Requirements. Agreement has the potential for a total of approximately 600 units over the next 7 years. Read more.
Modular Building Institute Awards Best Modular, Relocatable Buildings of 2024
MBI's premier modular building awards, its annual Awards of Distinction, are presented each year on the final evening of its World of Modular conference and trade show. Read more.
Greystar's First U.S Modular Community, Ltd. Findlay, Now Preleasing
Greystar Real Estate Partners, LLC, a global leader in the investment and development announced that it's first U.S modular community is now open for preleasing. Read more.
Akhurst Machinery Partners with Modular Building Group to Aid Housing Crisis
Akhurst Machinery Group has entered into a strategic partnership with Modular Building Automation (MBA), a Dutch company specializing in machinery for prefabricated homes, modular buildings, and offsite construction solutions. Read more.
New Building Code to Permit 18-Stoney Timber Builds in Toronto
Canada's largest city is the epicentre of a housing crisis that is sweeping the country. Under a new Building Code, set to be approved by the Ontario provincial government, developers and policymakers are turning to mass timber construction systems to construct the next generation of mid-rise and high-rise construction projects. Read more.
Trudeau Pushes 3D-Printed, Prefabricated Homes to Solve Supply Crunch
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced measures aimed at making it easier and cheaper to build new homes in Canada, with an emphasis on pre-fabricated modular housing. Read more.
Michigan State University (MSU) is excited to announce the launch of the 'Post Graduate Certificate in BIM.' This advanced program empowers professionals with advanced skills in Building Information Modeling (BIM). The first batch of the program commences on April 15, 2024. Read more.
Mercer Mass Timber Launches Construction Services
Mercer Mass Timber LLC, the Spokane Valley-based manufacturer of cross-laminated timber panels, has launched a mass timber installation division, says Brian Merwin, the company’s senior vice president. Read more.
UF Strategic Funding to Help Improve Industrialized Construction Engineering
The University of Florida will use $2.5 million in strategic funding to help advance the field of industrialized construction engineering. The money comes from the $130 million in funding that Florida Legislature awarded UF in 2023. Read more.
Vancouver Advances Mass Timber Adoption Through New Incentives
Vancouver is ramping up its commitment to sustainable construction with a new set of incentives aimed at promoting mass timber buildings. These incentives, developed through collaboration with stakeholders, will be closely monitored and adjusted based on real-world feedback over the next two years. Read more.
The Future of Design Is Here with AI in Vectorworks 2024 Update 4
Global design and BIM software provider Vectorworks, Inc., part of the Nemetschek Group, has released its fourth update to the Vectorworks 2024 product line, granting customers access to AI and virtual reality technologies through two brand new tools. Read more.
Eastern Hemlock Cross Laminated Timber is Now Commercially Available to Builders
Eastern Hemlock, a ubiquitous and underutilized evergreen tree species in the northeastern United States, is now available for commercial cross-laminated timber (CLT) building projects for the first time after a multi-year project brings the tree species to the market. Read more.
Firm Investing in CLT Manufacturing in Oregon
A new cross-laminated timber (CLT) manufacturing facility is coming to Oregon’s mid-Willamette Valley. Timberlab, a Swinerton subsidiary and a national provider of holistic mass-timber systems, plans to construct and operate the 250,000-square-foot facility. Read more.
House of Design Robotics, an industry-leading provider of advanced automated and robotic solutions tailored for building component and offsite construction companies, has taken a significant step as Connie Lefkowitz of Cullinan Holdings, Inc. have acquired majority control and interest in the company through a strategic investment. Read more.
American Homestar Launches 'Tiny Homes" Business Out of Fort Worth Facility
American Homestar Corp., a leader in factory-built homes with headquarters outside Houston, has announced a new venture to produce “tiny homes” out of its Oak Creek Homes subsidiary in Fort Worth. Read more.
Western Pa. Lawmaker Aims to Form Statewide Guidelines for Building Tiny Homes
A Western Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to make it easier for local municipalities to develop tiny homes in their communities — something the city of Pittsburgh is already contemplating. Read more.
Cross-Laminated Timber Industry To Gain New Manufacturing Facility in Pregon's Mid-Willamette Valley
Timberlab Inc. a subsidiary of Swinerton Incorporated (Swinerton) and leading national provider of holistic mass timber systems, unveils its plans to construct and operate a state-of-the-art cross-laminated timber (CLT) manufacturing facility in Oregon's mid-Willamette region. Read more.
FEMA Announces Hawaii Housing Plan Using Modular Construction
On March 28, 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will release its housing assistance plan for residents impacted by the Maui wildfires in August 2023. This plan will involve using modular construction to build new homes. Read more.
Kalesnikoff to Build New Mass Timber Mill in B.C
Kalesnikoff Mass Timber is pleased to announce the ongoing growth of its product offerings, services and team through a new, third facility and product lines; continuing to secure Kalesnikoff’s leadership and innovation in meeting evolving and expanding construction industry needs. Read more.
NYC EDC Selects 7 Projects to Lead the Way on Mass Timber Construction
New York City wants to bring eco-friendly construction to the masses and started that journey by picking seven projects to participate in a new mass timber incubator. Read more.
Colorado Welcomes Guerdon's Expansion to Meet Surging Demand for Modular Housing
As the demand for housing continues to surge across the United States, Guerdon, LLC is proud to announce its expansion plans for a modular construction factory in Colorado. Read more.
Wittman Estes Creates "Rapid Assembly" Fire Station in Southern California
Prefabricated steel modules were used to create Fire Station 67, which was designed by architecture studio Wittman Estes to be durable, adaptable and quick to construct and reconfigure. Read more.
Amid the bustling streets of Missoula, First Security Bank is breaking ground on what will soon be Montana's largest cross-laminated timber (CLT) building, setting a new standard for eco-conscious construction in the region. Read more.
ICC/MBI Standards 1200 & 1205 Provide Foundation for Utah's First-Ever State Modular Program
What began as a phone conversation in September, 2023, with MBI Government Affairs Director, Jon Hannah-Spacagna and Utah Building Official and State Representative, Tom Peterson, has just turned into an historic accomplishment for the modular industry. Read more.
Yellowstone National Park $40 Million Gift to Build More Employee Housing
A $40 million private donation will go toward building at least 70 new modular housing units for employees at Yellowstone National Park, the National Park Service announced Thursday. Read more.
Mass Timber Fire Performance a Game-Changer for Future Tall Buildings
Mass timber construction continues to gain momentum across Canada largely because it is eco-friendly and extensive research has validated the fire safety of the material for taller buildings. Read more.
Virginia Pioneer's Adoption of Offsite Construction Code
The Commonwealth of Virginia last month became the first state to adopt the International Code Council and Modular Building Institute’s 1200 and 1205 standards. Read more.
Grant Supports Research on Cross-Laminated Timber
Washington State University researchers have received a two-year grant to make more resilient and durable housing materials from thermally-modified cross laminated timber (CLT) and recycled carbon fiber. Read more.
Little Caesars Adds Modular Units to its Development Portfolio
Little Caesars launched its POD program in December and opened its first modular restaurant in Iowa. Franchisees are showing significant interest so far. Read more.
Hasslacher Group Invests in Ontario Mass Timber Producer Element5
The Hasslacher Group is acquiring a stake in Element5, a mass timber producer specializing in the design, manufacture, and assembly of modern engineered timber buildings, based in St. Thomas, Ontario. Read more.
Jared Polis, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and Colorado Housing and Finance Authority announced funding to support the growth of eight modular housing manufacturers across Colorado. Collectively, these manufacturers are projected to create 4,755 housing units per year. Read more.
Autodesk Launches Cloud Solution for AECO Industry
Announced today the launch of Autodesk Informed Design, a new cloud-based tool aimed at connecting design and manufacturing workflows to improve the building design and construction process. This process is also known as BIM. Read more.
Modular Home Manufacturing Center Could Come to Roswell
Modular could bring new life for a massive, long-shuttered building, at a southeast New Mexico aviation hub. A multi-million-dollar investment promises hundreds of new manufacturing jobs and relief for the housing crunch in oil country. Read more.
Spruce-Pine-Fir South (SPF-S) and Eastern Hemlock cross-laminated timber (CLT) was recently certified for production by Sterling Structural and added to their product line. Read more.
Utah Looks at Modular Homes To Increase Housing Affordability In Cities
The Utah Leauge of City and Towns Supports Housing Affordadbility Policies that Respect Market Forces and Local Government Authority. Read more.
Increasing Affordable Housing Stock Through Modular Building
Modular building, if brought to scale, has the potential to reduce construction costs and make building new homes more affordable, especially in areas experiencing severe affordable housing shortages. Read more.
Modular Fire Station Allows for Possible Future Reconfigurations
In Southern California’s Rancho Mission Viejo (RMV), Fire Station 67 has been designed and constructed as a prefab, modular build—enabling faster completion and future reconfiguration. Read more.
$20M Awarded for Affordable Housing By Oregon Housing and Community Services
The grant funding is huge for Oregon, but representative Pam Marsh confirmed that something completely different would have to be done to advance housing production on the ground. She believes that modular housing, could be part of the solution to the housing crisis. Read more.
25-Story Main Street Mass TImber Rental Housing Tower Approved by Vancouver City Council
Mass-timber construction for residential tower uses will be pushed to new limits in British Columbia, following Vancouver City Council’s approval last week of a 260 ft, 25-storey tower project. Read more.
Utah's Legislature Wants to Get Involved in Modular Construction
Utah lawmakers are crafting legislation that would make it easier to sell factory-built homes, known as modular or prefabricated housing, in the state. Read more.
Wawa to Open First Modular Construction Stores
As Wawa seeks to grow in multiple parts of the country at once, using prefabricated construction program makes the building process easier and get stores online quicker. Read more.
Oakland 'Phoenix' Multifamily Project Uses Industrialized Construction, Mycelium
Developers of The Phoenix plan to have 316 affordable units. To meet both its sustainability goals and the tight timelines for unlocking state funds, the team building The Phoenix had to turn to prefabrication and alternative materials. Read more.
Codesign Announces BIM Integration Tools
Codesign, the architectural-focused concept design tool for the iPad, now has BIM integrations for Archicad, Forma, Revit, and Vectorworks. With these Codesign Connections, architects can take their initial concept designs into the BIM system of their choice and continue developing and evolving their design. Read more.
26 Stories in 5 Days - How BROAD Sustainable Building is Redefining the Speed of Modular
On January 7, 2024, BROAD Sustainable Building began assembling the new 26-story mixed-use Jindu Residential Tower. On January 11, just five days later, construction was completed by using modular. Read more.
Founded in 1952 by John Louws Sr., Louws Truss has served Washington State as a truss manufacturer for over 70 years. Now, BJ Louws has taken another step into the future by working with House of Design to build one of only a few robotic roof truss assembly plants in the United States. Read more.
Government of Canada Support Helps BECC Modular Increase Production of Modular Housing Solutions
FedDev Ontario Investment of $2.5 Million for BECC Modular to Manufacture up to 2,200 modular structures per year and create 35 Jobs. Strengthening the economy and making life more affordable for Canadians are the top priorities for the Government of Canada. Read more.
At Oregon State, Engineers Hope the Future Will Be Built By Mass Timber
On the eastern edge of the Oregon State University campus, in a modern warehouse sandwiched between a parking lot and a dairy barn, the future of environmentally friendly construction is taking shape using Mass Timber. Read more.
Mount Pleasent Could Soon Have Vancouver's Tallest 'Hybrid-Timber' Tower
Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood could soon be home to the city’s tallest “hybrid-timber” residential building. An application from Henriquez Partners Architects on behalf of Westbank Projects Corp. goes to public hearing Jan. 23 for a 25-storey rental highrise at Main Street and 5th Avenue. Read more.
Modular Homes Offer A Solution to Pittsburgh's Housing Shortage
Harry Vine Homes, a modern modular home building company, prefabricates houses in a climate-controlled warehouse before transporting them to a specific address — a practice that can be a viable solution to the housing shortage. Read more.
Georgia-Pacific Leads Discussion On Mass Timber's Environmental and Economic Impact In Georgia
Georgia-Pacific, along with partners The Georgia Forestry Foundation and Jamestown LP , recently met with state and local leadership to discuss how prioritizing and utilizing sustainable structural building materials such as mass timber not only has a positive effect on our environment, but Georgia's economy. Read more.
UF Plans to Advance the Field of Industrialized Construction Engineering
University of Florida faculty and students will help advance the field of industrialized construction engineering with $2.5 million in strategic funding from the office of UF President Ben Sasse. Read more.
Panel Built Inc. to Manufacture Prefabricated Electrical Houses
Panel Built Inc. has announced that it has added a new product to its lineup: E-Houses. E-Houses, short for "electrical houses," are prefabricated substations used as electrical control buildings. Read more.
The Commonwealth of Virginia has approved the adoption of ICC/MBI Standards 1200 and 1205 as a part of their adoption package of the International Code Council’s suite of 2021 International Codes®. Read more.
Midwest's First Two-Story Mass Timber Building Under Way
When it opens in early 2025, the new headquarters for Cincinnati Public Radio (CPR) will serve as the first two-story mass timber building in the Midwest, and the first of its kind locally. Skanska and CPR broke ground on the $32 million project in August. Read more.
Denver Opens First Micro-Community As Mayor Touts Successful House1000 Project
Denver’s Mayor Mike Johnston announced Sunday the city succeeded in under six months moving more than 1,000 people experiencing homelessness off the streets and into housing. The tiny home village is tucked behind Peoria Street in District 8. Read more.
Study Quantifies Modular's Wood Waste Savings
A recent study commissioned by MBI and carried out at Colorado State University shows that when it comes to optimizing the circular economics of a construction project, modular is the preferred way to build. Read more.
Newest Line of Container Buildings Broadens Modular's Reach
Wilmot Modular’s newest line of mobile storage and office buildings is set to expand the reach of modular buildings into remote locations. Their Smart Line – Hybrid Series of container offices and storage buildings provides almost instant connectivity and power in locations that are off-grid, on-grid, or anywhere in between. Read more.
Toronto Will Be Home To 'World's First Fully Digitally-Enabled Building'
Toronto is going to be the home of the “world’s first fully digitally-enabled building. The prefabricated mass timber two-storey, 300-square-metre Smart Campus Integration and Testing Hub is a collaboration of a number of universities and private sector partners and the culmination of about four years of planning. Read more.
San Antonio's South Side Embraces Micro Living With Greenlit Tiny Home Project
Small is the new big on San Antonio's South Side, where mini abodes are set to take center stage. In a recent move, the Zoning Commission greenlit a 79-unit tiny home project, envisioned to pop up near Palo Alto College. Read more.
Vertically Integrated Modular Housing Project Opens in Auburn, Washington
Located just outside Seattle and Tacoma in Auburn, Washington, Blokable at Phoenix Rising is the world's first vertically integrated modular housing development. Read more.
Mighty Buildings Awarded $5M to Develop Affordable 3D Printed Green Housing
Mighty Buildings, a 3D printing construction technology company known for its prefabricated, environmentally friendly, and climate-resilient homes, has been awarded a $5 million GFO-22-305 grant from the California Energy Commission. Read more.
ABB Robotics and Prosche Consulting Plan to Transform Housing Manufacturing
A pilot project between the companies aims to develop new practices in modular housing manufacturing that will help meet the need for more affordable and sustainable buildings and reduce the environmental impact of construction. Read more.
ABJA Ohana LLC Secures Exclusive Agreement with TLC Modular Construction LLC
Sales Begin 2024 in All 50 States, Including Hawaii and Puerto Rico, through TLC Modular USA Inc. Company reports over $24M in Orders with Plans to Set Up Authorized Distributors and Assembly Factories Throughout the USA. Read more.
Silicon Valley Eases Housing Crisis With $225,000 Containers
In the United States’ most expensive metropolitan area for housing, city streets are getting tiny homes made from repurposed shipping containers. Read more.
'First-Ever' 3D Printed Low CO2 Concrete Building Unveiled
Partnering with 3DCP Group, AKF introduces a pioneering structure featuring environmentally friendly materials and an adaptive construction process. Read more.
Federal Government Reboots Canada's Housing Policy From Second World War
The federal government announced today it is reviving a previous housing policy now about 80 years old, which was created in response to the immense demand for housing after the Second World War. Read more.
Construction Set to Start on $1.2B Battery Plant in Tucson, Arizona
American Battery Factory has started construction of $1.2-billion, 2-million-sq-ft gigafactory and eventual headquarters in Tucson, Ariz., where it will produce lithium iron phosphate battery cells. Read more.
This Modular Pittsburg Apartment Complex Could Change the Way US Housing is Built
Greystar, the massive US developer, bought a fcactory in order to build a whole new line of modular apartment buildings. Read more.
A 3D-Printed Home Builder Demolished A House Before It Was Complete. Here's Why.
If construction 3D printing startups can fulfill their promise of creating faster, cheaper, and better homes, the US homebuilding industry could be upended and changed for the better. Read more.
MSU Researchers Explore Emerging Market for Mass Timber In Michigan
To see the future of how buildings (CLT) are constructed in both Michigan and the U.S., you don’t have to travel far from Michigan State University. In fact, visit its campus and check out the newly built STEM Teaching and Learning Facility. Read more.
Sacramento County Clears Way For 200 New Tiny Homes, Funded by $18M State Grant
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors moved forward this week with a $17.7 million “Safe Stay” tiny home site on Stockton Boulevard, where small cabins will accommodate up to 200 homeless people. Read more.
University of New Brunswick Announces 2023 Off-site Construction Student Design Competition Winners
The third annual Off-site Construction Student Design Competition will showcase student design innovation in modular, prefabricated, panelized and other types of off-site construction. Read more.
South Georgia Home Manufacturing Plant Could Get $144M in Incentives
A Finnish building manufacturer could receive about $144 million in grants, tax breaks and other incentives from state and local governments to build a $750 million mass production facility in South Georgia. Top manufacturers in Georgia recently met at the Offsite Construction Summit in Atlanta to discuss these topics. Read more.
To kick off the 2023–2024 NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs opened a brand new, 138,900-square-foot practice facility, dubbed the Victory Capital Performance Center. The architects emphasize that the new Texas facility is the largest mass timber–constructed training center in professional sports history. Read more.
BIMcollab Releases New Product Line, Including BIMcollab Twin and New ModelViewer
Netherland-based BIMcollab has long been known for their BIM issue management platform. Late last month, the company announced the addition of two new features, which they say “transforms'' their offering from a BIM issue management platform into “an ecosystem in which its enhanced online BIM coordination solutions are extended with a proven Digital Twin platform.” Read more.
Peterborough Builds 50 Transitional Tiny Homes, But No Similar Plan in Toronto Yet
As Ontario braces for winter, the City of Peterborough is rushing to open dozens of new transitional homes as the municipality — like many others in Ontario — continues to deal with homelessness. Read more.
UW's New Hybrid Mass Timber Building Advances Seattle Building Code
The University of Washington’s (UW’s) Health Sciences and Education Building (HSEB) in Seattle features a sustainable structural system with cross-laminated timber (CLT), steel, and concrete. Read more.
See Inside A 3D-Printed Tiny Home Being Built to Help Address LA's Housing Crisis
Woodbury University School of Architecture's students and faculty are behind a 425-square-foot Tiny Home, dubbed the Solar Futures House, aimed at helping alleviate LA's housing crisis. Read more.
BIM-Based Digital Collaboration Platform, Initiating Construction Digitalization
A Korean research team has developed a BIM-based digital collaboration platform that allows construction owners and engineers to collaborate with each other on digital design tasks. Read more.
Mass Timber Competition Celebrates Innovative Carbon-Cutting Designs
In its second year, the 2023 Mass Timber Competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon, will award $2.2 million to five winners, showcasing mass timber’s architectural versatility and its crucial role in cutting carbon emissions in the built environment. Read more.
Safe & Green Holdings Debuts Its Modular Comfort Homes at Events in Houston and New York City
Safe & Green Holdings Corp. A leading developer, designer, and fabricator of modular structures for residential, commercial, and point-of-care medicine, announces the debut of the Comfort Home Show model, a traveling modular home the Company is constructing for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Read more.
Saving Manhattan: Agencies, Consultants, Contractors Join Fight to Keep New York City Above Water
In densely populated cities surrounded on all sides by water—the borough of Manhattan in New York City as a prime example—the risks from sea level rise and climate change are not just hypotheticals; they are existential threats. Read more.
Durango Company Receives Housing Incentive Grant to Build 66 Affordable Homes
Durango company Timber Age Systems received an Innovative Housing Incentive Program grant of up to $680,000 for the construction of 60 housing units using cross-laminated timber structures. Read more.
First Batch of Tiny Homes Arrives as it Looks to House 1,000 Unhoused by the End of the Year
Denver received its first delivery of Pallet shelters Wednesday morning, part of Mayor Mike Johnston's plan to provide 1,000 unhoused Denver residents with some form of housing by the end of the year. Read more.
Five Winners Selected for $2 Million Mass Timber Competition
The competition was co-sponsored by the Softwood Lumber Board and USDA Forest Service (USDA) with the intent “to demonstrate mass timber’s applications in architectural design and highlight its significant role in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment.” Read more.
Virginia Tech-led Coalition Gets Grand to Boost Modular Construction in Appalachia
A Virginia Tech-led partnership has received more than $450,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission to develop a workforce training strategy focused on modular construction. Read more.
Four-Time NBA Champion Andre Iguodala Investing in Modular Real Estate
Iguodala's investment firm, Mosaic, is focused on seed- and early-stage investments for companies in the enterprise software, fintech health care and sports company sectors. But one its first investments is in Vessel, a multifamily modular builder. Read more.
Portland's New Airport Terminal Looks Like It's from the Future- But It's Built Out of Wood
When Portland, Oregon, opens up a soaring new airport terminal in May 2024, it’s widely expected to become a signature building. Part of the draw will be the sweeping, mass timber construction, including a 9-acre roof boasting gracious curves and skylights. Read more.
White House Names Oregon as Tech Hub for Mass Timber, Semiconductors
Oregon could receive tens of millions of dollars from the federal government for semiconductors and mass timber after the Biden administration announced Monday that the state will be home to two of 31 technology hubs. Read more.
New DNR Building the First Michigan-Sourced Mass Timber Structure
Newberry's new Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) customer service center will benefit not only the department, but the whole community- as a training and community area is part of the buildings plan. The structure will also showcase one of Michigan's top industries- Forestry and timber products- and will use mass timber to help the carbon footprint. Read more.
KICT Unveils Cutting-Edge Scan to BIM Technology
The scan to BIM technology can be used for 3D geospatial information modelling, such as digital twin modelling. The invention eliminates errors and manual rework when transforming 3D scan data into BIM or shape models, traditionally done manually or with expensive overseas software. Read more.
Wind River presents Tellico tiny home model to building officials at the International Code Council's annual Conference and Expo to showcase build quality and suitability for full-time living. Read more.
California-Based Connect Homes Will Bring Prefab Manufacturing to Mesa
A California-based company that manufactures modular prefab homes will open a 150,000-square-foot factory in Mesa early next year with hopes of tripling the number of houses it can build per year. Read more.
Development Startup Brings Modular Solution to Hospitality Industry
Tomu Inc. provides aspiring hosts and hoteliers with modular units akin to upscale tiny house hotel rooms, that are sustainable, affordable, and customizable. Read more.
California Unveils 1st Site of Tiny Home Project Meant to Relieve Homelessness
An abandoned office park in Sacramento will be the site of the first group of 1,200 tiny homes to be built in four cities to address California’s homelessness crisis, the governor's office announced Wednesday after being criticized for the project experiencing multiple delays. Read more.
Spurring Innovation: New York City Mass Timber Studio Launches
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has launched a technical assistance initiative to support mass timber projects in the early phases of planning and design with the goal of spurring development of the novel medium in the concrete and steel city. Read more.
UMaine's Bio-Based 3D Printed House Has Passed a Crucial First Test
According to housing forecasts, Maine needs more than 84,000 homes of all kinds by the end of the decade. And state officials are hopeful that the University of Maine's bio-based 3D printed home will play a role in easing the housing crunch. Read more.
Russo Modular Delivers Quick Service Restaurants Faster, Greener, Smarter
Russo Modular, who specializes in manufacturing QSR modular buildings, transported their 8th modular Dutch Bros drive-thru 946 miles to its home in Klamath Falls, OR last weekend. Russo Modular and Dutch Bros Coffee have been collaborating since 2019 when they delivered their first modular drive-thru to Gresham, OR. Read more.
200 Tiny Homes Could Soon Pop Up on VTA Land in San Jose
In a unanimous vote, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the city of San Jose agreed to build 200 tiny homes on VTA land as part of the South Bay solution to the homeless crisis. Read more.
South Florida-based Container Home Builder Stepping Up to Help Rebuild Ukraine
Untold thousands of homes and buildings have been destroyed over 20 months of fighting between Russia and Ukraine, and even without an end date is sight, Ukrainian leaders are planning how to rebuild. An Aventura-based builder of modular homes expects to play a large role. Read more.
Graphisoft Announces Latest Product Lineup
Araphisoft, the leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) software solution developer for architecture and multidisciplinary design, announced its latest product lineup today, including significant feature updates to Archicad, BIMcloud, BIMx, and DDScad. Read more.
NYC Rolls Out New Mass Timber Construction Grant Program
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has announced the launch of the New York City Mass Timber Studio in an effort to join industry leaders who are elsewhere raising the bar for the use of sustainable materials in the built environment. Read more.
The Modular Home Builders Association Announces the Modular Homes of the Year
Announced at the MHBA 2023 Annual Conference & Housing Summit in Hershey, PA, the modular home builders association showed off its homes of the year as voted by public survey. Read more.
World's Tallest Wooden Building to be Built in Perth After Developers Win Approval
Western Australia is set to become home to the world’s tallest timber building, a “revolutionary” 50-storey hybrid design reaching a height of 191.2 meters. Timber will make up 42% of South Perth’s C6 building, including the tower’s beams, floor panels, studs, joinery and linings. Read more.
Modular Building Institute Launches Multimillion-Dollar Advocacy Campaign
Following the recent success in preventing the expansion of the Davis Bacon Act (DBA) into modular factories, the Modular Building Institute’s (MBI) Board of Directors announced today that it is launching a multiyear, multimillion-dollar campaign to spur investment and promote greater adoption of modular construction. Read more.
Centennial College Celebrates Mass-Timber Opening at Progress Campus
Centennial College has announced the completion of the A-Building Expansion at its Progress Campus. This project is notable as Canada's first higher-education facility to be zero carbon and constructed with mass timber. Read more.
Prefabricated Mass Timber Could be a Game-Changer for Remote Mining Camps: Study
A feasibility study on future workforce housing types in northern Ontario mines supports the use of prefabricated mass timber in remote camps. Read more.
NYCEDC Launches "New York Mass Timber Studio" to Encourage Wood Construction
In Brooklyn, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced this morning the creation of New York City Mass Timber Studio: a “technical assistance program to support active mass timber development projects in the early phases of project planning and design.” Read more.
Austin City Council Considering Allowing Tiny Homes, RVs as Accessory Dwelling Units
Austin, Texas City Council seems poised to initiate changes to city zoning regulations that will allow tiny homes and recreational vehicles to be used as accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods. Read more.
Mass Timber Parking Garage to Demonstrate Material's Versatility
A prefab mass timber company is planning an inaugural mass timber parking structure in British Columbia. This initiative seeks to transform the construction industry by substituting conventional concrete and steel with the sustainable and renewable material. Read more.
Wholistic Transformation, a Tucson, Arizona, faith-based nonprofit organization, is using shipping containers from former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s makeshift border wall to build tiny homes for young people transitioning out of the foster care system. Read more.
Studio Shed Expands Multi-Unit Prefab Solutions with New Hospitality Project in North Carolina
Studio Shed, the leading manufacturer of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and backyard structures since 2008, announced the expansion of its multi-unit prefabricated micro-housing solutions today with a new project at Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) in North Carolina. Read more.
Mighty Buildings Raises $52M to Build 3D-Printed Prefab Homes
Mighty Buildings, a startup building tech for prefabricated, ostensibly environmentally-friendly homes, today announced that it raised $52 million in a funding round co-led by Waed Ventures and Bold Capital with participation by Khosla Ventures. Read more.
Greystar Turns to Modular for Budget-Friendly Apartments
Greystar, one of the largest multifamily owners and developers in the world, is ramping up its use of modular construction in its newest projects. Read more.
Westlake Academy Opens 12 New Classrooms Manufactured by OMC
Hundreds of middle and high school students at Westlake Academy will attend classes for the first time tomorrow in 12 state-of-the-art classrooms located in two new 6,400 square foot buildings manufactured in a modular facility by OMC – Offsite Modular Construction, LLC. Read more.
DORCE Prefabricated Building and Construction Included in ENR's Top 250 of 2023
One of the world’s leading volumetric modular structure manufacturers and contractors, is proud to announce its inclusion in the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 250 International Contractors List for 2023. Read more.
This Prefabricated Construction Company Aims To Make Buying A Home as Simple as Buying A Car
Cover is a Los Angeles-based prefabricated home company that builds housing components in an off-site facility and then assembles them at the house site. Read more.
First Prefabricated Bridge in US installed in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin
A new kind of bridge installation with time and labor-saving benefits made its debut in the United States for the first time in Eau Claire. Read more.
New Interactive Tool Can Assist Engineered Design of CLT Systems
A new set of free-to-use design tools released by engineering consulting firm EQUILIBRIUM will greatly improve the speed and accuracy of engineering the design of structural cross-laminated timber (CLT) systems. Read more.
Vectorworks Embodied Carbon Calculator Wins Sustainability Initiative Award
The Vectorworks Embodied Carbon Calculator (VECC) was recognized for its innovation and achievements in sustainability at the 20th Annual International Business Awards. Read more.
PCL Tops Off $150M Toronto Mass Timber Building
The 10-story facility, known as Limberlost Place, is located at George Brown College’s Waterfront campus in Toronto. Now that the building is topped off, PCL will focus on completing the exterior envelope and starting the interior fit-up, which will include installing other mass timber pieces and commissioning the building, per the release. Read more.
Governor Polis and the Business Funding & Incentives Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced three recipients of the Innovative Housing Incentive program (IHIP) grant and the launch of the loan component of the IHIP program. This round of grant funding will directly incentivize the creation of 490 affordable and attainable housing units across Colorado. Read more.
Brisbane's Cross-River Rail Project Uses BIM, GIS, and a Gaming Engine
In Australia’s fastest growing city, the future begins underground. By 2036, the South East Queensland metro area will add another 1.5 million residents—a number that, by itself, would be Australia’s fifth-largest city. Read more.
Cincinnati's First Mass Timber Project Breaks Ground
Skanska and Cincinnati Public Radio broke ground Tuesday on a new headquarters for CPR, which, when finished, will become the first two-story mass timber building in the Midwest and the first of any size in Cincinnati, according to a release shared with Construction Dive. Read more.
New Federal Funds Available to Encourage Digital Construction and BIM Transformation
New grants made available through the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) are allowing states to digitally transform the way they build infrastructure. Read more.
Maui Wildfire Sparks New Conversations on Prefab Homes
Houses made of pre-cut lumber that can be shipped to Hawaii and built quickly. Permanent modular homes that can be literally plugged into utility infrastructure on prepared sites. Cafes, shops and food courts created out of modified shipping containers. Read more.
Ontario's First Mass-Timer, Net Zero Institutional Building Close to Completion
Limberlost Place, Ontario’s first mass-timber, net-zero carbon emissions institutional building, has now reached the highest point in construction. The final wood and steel beams were installed in the 10-storey facility located at George Brown College’s (GBC) Waterfront campus in Toronto’s growing east Bayfront community. Read more.
Redcar Properties to Add A74K-SF Mass Timber Office in Santa Monica
The new property will be a mass timber building, which uses wood that absorbs and stores carbon dioxide. The construction of mass timber structures produces less pollution and waste during the manufacturing process, and the construction schedule in this case is four months quicker than with concrete or steel. Read more.
Tighe & Bond Engineers Help Reopen in Massachusetts Using Offsite Construction
When the original bridge had to be shut down to deterioration. The town acted quickly to find a solution that would not only be cost-effective and work within an expedited schedule, but would benefit the local communities and all who use the bridge. They were able to achieve this using Modular Construction Read more.
Sacramento County Rolls Out New Tiny Homes for the Unhoused
In an effort to provide basic essentials for the local homeless community, Sacramento County launched a new tiny home space called Safe Stay. Read more.
MBI Defeats Davis-Bacon Expansion
On August 8, 2023, the US Department of Labor (DOL) published its final rule revising and expanding the Davis-Bacon Act. As proposed, the Act would have been expanded to include “secondary sites” such as modular factories on federally-funded projects. Read more.
Finnish Company Plans $750 Million Georgia Factory for Mass-Produced Modular Homes
ADMARES plans six smart factories around the world, including one in Waycross, which is scheduled to start production in 2025, according to a rendering on the company’s website. Read more.
BC Government Invests in Diamon Schmitt's Mass Timber Projects
The Government of British Columbia has announced that it is providing more than $4 million to the province’s Mass Timber Demonstration Program (MTDP). Read more.
Case Study: Roundhouse Works By Paddy Dilton, Reed Watts Architects and Allies and Morrison
Recycled railway sleepers are one of the elements used to form this creative centre for young people, part of the Roundhouse’s creative campus in London’s Chalk Farm. Read more.
Bon Secours Mercy Health Takes Prefabrication To the Next Level
In early 2021, Bon Secours Mercy Health announced plans to build Mercy Health Kings Mills, a 60-bed hospital and medical office building in Mason, Ohio—the system’s first new hospital in the Greater Cincinnati area since 2014. Read more.
World's First Prefab Operating Room with Fully Automated Disinfection Technology Opens in New York
The first prefabricated operating room in the world with fully automated disinfection technology opened recently at the University of Rochester Medicine Orthopedics Surgery Center in Henrietta, N.Y. Read more.
Tiny Homes Can Now Be Permanent Residences In Denver
Thanks to a new bill that went into effect in July, Coloradans living in the scaled down homes can now claim them as a permanent residence. Read more.
Austin, Texas's Rapid Growth is met with Housing Innovation
From 3D printing and modular construction to smart infill projects and container homes, Austin, Texas, is flourishing with housing innovation companies and communities to meet the area's rapid growth. Read more.
ZenniHome Uses Factory Robotics and Home Automation To Fight the Housing Crisis
With America facing a shortfall of 7.3 million affordable housing units across the nation, there’s a desperate need to use innovation to help fill the gap. Read more.
Perfect Storm Fills Sales in the Modular Construction Sector
After 20 years or more making slow gains, modular construction is on the verge of a major breakthrough. Read more.
B.C Puts More Than $4 Million Towards Mass Timber Demonstration, Research Projects
The Government of British Columbia is providing more than $4 million for 12 new mass-timber demonstration and research projects. Read more.
Suffolk Celebrates Completion of Affordable Housing Project in Los Angeles
one of the most innovative and successful builders and real estate enterprises in the country, announced construction is complete on a new affordable housing project in downtown Los Angeles. Read more.
It's About to Get Easier for Homeowners in Denver to Build Tiny Homes in their Backyards
Starting on July 5, Denver zoning laws that the city approved last month will make these tiny homes — called accessory dwelling units, or ADUs — more prolific throughout the Mile High City in an attempt to quell the area's housing shortage. By one estimate, the city and its surrounding area is short around 70,000 homes. Read more.
Lennar, Mastry Ventures Make Multi-Million Dollar Investment in Net-Zero Prefab Homes
Investment firm Mastry Ventures and LENx, the venture arm of homebuilder Lennar, have co-invested in Vessel Technologies’ next-generation housing product. Vessel, a housing product development company, aims to cultivate a pathway to creating attainable housing across the country. Read more.
Canada Invests $3.5 Million in Innovative Mass Timber Commercial Building in Vancouver
Canadian government has announced an investment of $3.5 million in the construction of 2150 Keith Drive, an innovative hybrid mass timber commercial office building in Vancouver's False Creek Flats neighborhood. Read more.
Nova Scotia Buying Modular Homes to Rent to those Displaced by Wildfires
Nova Scotia is spending $7.4 million to buy 25 fully-furnished modular homes and make them available to rent for people whose homes were destroyed by the Shelburne County and Halifax-area wildfires. Read more.
Miami-Dade County, Florida Considers Tiny Homes to Address Ongoing Housing Crisis
A year ago, during a housing summit, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the county was buying buildings to convert them into affordable housing units (Tiny Homes) and not long after, they approved the installation of accessory dwelling units or ADUs in homes with enough yard space. Read more.
Gamma AR Integrates with BIMcollab
Gamma AR, a tool that brings BIM models to the job site through augmented reality, is now integrated with BIMcollab, the issue management and model validation software. Read more.
UniTrust Launches Innovative Modular Home Project in Florida
UniTrust, a leading modular home construction company, is proud to announce the launch of its latest housing project in Florida. The project is led by Alexander Zimin, an accomplished entrepreneur with over 15 years' experience in developing factories and infrastructure facilities. Read more.
TatumTek Opens New Modular Home Building Factory in Dallas
A modular home manufacturing company founded by a former pro basketball player has opened a new factory in northwest Dallas—aiming to meet what it calls “the growing demand for affordable and environmentally friendly housing solutions.” Read more.
Collège Borèal Making Progress on it's Northern Ontario Tiny Home Prototype Project
A group of four architectural technology students and their teacher will work all summer to finish the design of a tiny home prototype adapted to northern Ontario weather. Read more.
Mass Timber, Modular Construction Company Eyeing William Lake Gets Upto $10M from Province
Massive Canada, the company hoping to set up business in Williams Lake, will receive up to $10M in provincial funding. B.C. premier David Eby is in Williams Lake Saturday, July 17, to announce the funding. Read more.
Oregon Architect's HQ: Northwest's First 'all-wood' Mass Timber Project
This Mississippi building, serving as Waechter Architecture’s headquarters in Portland, Oregon, features the use of mass timber in almost every aspect of the structure. The architect claims it to be Oregon’s first all-wood project. Read more.
Wekliv to Pilot Prefab Construction at Student Housing Project
Aiming to dramatically speed up the construction process, Montreal-based student housing specialist Werkliv will build a multiresidential development using prefabricated concrete panels from a company it owns as a pilot project. Read more.
Adjaye Associates Completes Mass-Timber Retail Space in Washington D.C Ward 8
Adjaye Associates has completed a mass-timber retail pavilion at Sycamore & Oak, a proposed mixed-use development in southeast Washington, D.C.’s Congress Heights neighborhood. Read more.
Module Heads to Washington to Show Off it's ADU Amid Plans to Scale
CEO of Module, Brian Gaudio says the invitation from HUD gives the Pittsburgh startup national validation and starts a conversation about allowing accessory dwelling within the city. Read more.
Fairbanks Museum Home to Vermont's First Demonstration Mass Timber Building
The Fairbanks Museum in Vermont has become the state's first demonstration of a mass timber building, showcasing the innovative use of sustainable wood construction methods. Read more.
Maine's Knickerbocker Group Moves to Modular
In Wiscasset, Maine, luxury home builder Knickerbocker Group is shifting to modular to address the state's housing crisis. The builder has set up shop in a warehouse to begin building its small, modular 'prefab pods,' each with a three- to four-week completion time. Read more.
Mercer Gets OK for $81M Acquisition of Structurlam
The shuttered Structurlam Mass Timber Corp. facility in Conway, Arkansas has been idle since a sudden closing in January. Now it could be operating again soon with Mercer International Inc.'s announcement it has acquired the business. Read more.
The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and buildingSMART USA (bSUSA) have partnered to collaborate in the promotion and support of open standards, interoperable solutions, and digital work practices to overcome inefficiencies across the U.S. built environment. Read more.
New Wichita Company Capitalized on a Popular Trend in Restaurants and Other Buildings
ModuAll, a new division of the Lange Cos. is introducing customizable modular restaurant buildings and exploring low-cost modular housing options. Read more.
WVU Researchers Find Ways to Make Low-Quality Hardwoods Useful for Structural Applications
Researchers at West Virginia University have developed methods to transform low-quality hardwoods into valuable materials for structural applications. Read more.
Finnish Company Plans $750M Georgia Factory for Mass-Produced, Modular Housing
A Finnish company has announced plans to invest $750 million in a factory in Georgia, USA, to produce mass-produced modular housing. ADMARES is building one of six planned smart factories globally in Waycross, with plans to employ 1,400 people and investing $750 million. Production is slated to start in 2025. Read more.
Greystar Creates Brand Targeting US Shortage of Workforce Rental Housing
Greystar, a leading real estate company, has introduced a new modular construction brand specifically addressing the shortage of rental housing for the workforce in the United States. This initiative aims to provide affordable and accessible housing options for employees across various industries. Read more.
Tiny Homes developed by Nestron come to North America, revolutionizing compact living with their smart features, advanced materials, and eco-friendly design. Read more.
Mortenson Targets Zero Carbon on $74M Engineering Building in Washington State
The four-story project at Western Washington University will be the first publicly-funded, zero-energy CLT structure on a college campus in the state... Read more.
University of Colorado Denver Students Create Eco-Friendly Buildings for Scientists in Antarctica
A group of University of Colorado Denver students are working on a special offsite construction project for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service that will be utilized in Antarctica. Read more.
In 2022, the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center Unveiled its 600-square food BioHome, a "bio-based" 3D-printed building. The construction method deployed for it was as unique as the final product... Read more.
Luxury Farm Resort Uses CLT Framing and Geothermal System to Boost Sustainability
Construction was recently completed on a 325-acre luxury farm resort in Franklin, Tenn., that is dedicated to agricultural innovation and sustainable, productive land use. With sustainability a key goal, The Inn and Spa at Southall was built with cross-laminated timber and a geothermal variant refrigerant flow (VRF) heating and cooling system. Read more.
Gensler-Designed Mid-Rise Will Be Houston's First Mass Timber Commercial Office Building
A Houston project plans to achieve two firsts: the city’s first mass timber commercial office project, and the state of Texas’s first commercial office building targeting net zero energy operational carbon upon completion next year.. Read more.
Tiny Homes on Small Lots Popping Up in San Antonio Area
With a small yard and inviting front porch, the newly built tiny houses along a short street in an established neighborhood in far northeastern Bexar County have all the trademarks of a single-family home. Read more.
Timber-built Tower Proposal Advances in Buckhead Village
A mixed-use tower proposal that would replace a vacant lot in Buckhead Village is one step closer to breaking ground. Read more.
OMA and Circlewood Develop Modular Wood System for 30 Amsterdam Schools
OMA and Circlewood have collaborated to develop a wood-based modular building system intended for the construction of 30 schools in Amsterdam. This innovative approach aims to create sustainable, flexible, and cost-effective educational facilities that can adapt to evolving educational needs. Read more.
Modular Builder Wins $2.2M Vermont School Contract
The Vermont School District has granted a $22 million contract to modular builder KBS to construct a new elementary school. The project aims to address overcrowding and provide a modern learning environment, with the modular construction method expected to expedite the process and minimize disruptions. Read more.
Mass-Timber Exhibition in Chicago Barks Up the Right Tree
The city of Chicago presents a new exhibition titled "REFRAMED: The Future of Cities in Wood" to showcase the beneficial factors of mass timber usage in offsite construction. Read more.
BIM Council Seeks Public Comments on BIM Standard US Version 4
The BIM Council is seeking public feedback on the fourth version of the BIM (Building Information Modeling) Standard for the United States. The updated standard aims to improve interoperability, data exchange, and overall quality in BIM implementation by incorporating public input and industry perspectives. Read more.
Autodesk Launches forma Cloud Platform for AEC Workflows
Autodesk has introduced the Forma Cloud platform, designed for architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) workflows, aiming to streamline collaboration and enhance productivity. Read more.
Bird Awarded Canada's Tallest Modular Build
Bird Construction has been awarded a contract to build the tallest modular building in Canada in Toronto, which will stand at 14 stories tall and comprise of 994 residential units, as part of a larger development project in the city. Read more.
Largest Industrial Mass Timber Structure in North America to Start this Summer
The largest industrial mass timber structure in North America is set to begin construction this summer in Oregon, USA. The facility, spanning over 450,000 square feet, will use sustainably-sourced mass timber to create a more eco-friendly and energy-efficient building. Read more.
A Prefab Multifamily Housing Project Will Deliver 200 New Apartments Near Downtown Denver
A new prefabricated multifamily housing project near downtown Denver, Colorado, will provide 200 apartments. The project, called The Quincy, will consist of five stories of modular construction and will feature a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. Read more.
Vantem Acquires Affinity Building Systems, Expands U.S Footprint
Vantem Global, a manufacturer of energy-efficient building systems, has acquired Affinity Building Systems, as part of its expansion plan in the United States. The acquisition will allow Vantem to broaden its presence in the U.S. market and enhance its production capacity. Read more.
Arizona Breaks Ground On Tiny Homes For Teachers Amid Worsening Educator Shortage
Maricopa, Arizona, is constructing a community of tiny homes designed specifically for teachers, aiming to alleviate the challenges of high housing costs and improve teacher retention. The initiative aims to provide affordable housing options and create a supportive community for educators in the area. Read more.
Katerra Factory buyer sees affordable housing uptick
Katerra's former factory in Arizona has been purchased by VBC, who plans to use the facility to help meet the increasing demand for affordable housing in the US... Read more.
BIM Executives Discuss CAD, BIM Standards Release & Program Development Plans
A panel of Building Information Modeling (BIM) executives discussed CAD and BIM standards and program development plans at a recent National Institute of Building Sciences event. They emphasized the need for standardized processes to improve BIM implementation and collaboration across the industry. Read more.
FullStack Modular, a volumetric modular construction company, is relocating its headquarters to Wallingford, Connecticut. The move is expected to bring more jobs and economic growth to the state. Read more.
Construction Starts On 89-unit Gauge Apartments in Durango, CO
Using Modular design, The Gauge apartments are being built to both affordable and modern. This multi-family housing development will aid those in the search of low-income housing with a completion date of Labor Day. Read more.
PCL Installs Mass Timber Pedestrian Bridge at George Brown College's Limberlost Place
PCL and Limberlost Place partners are coming together to celebrate a significant construction milestone at George Brown College’s Limberlost Place with the installation of a two-story prefabricated mass timber pedestrian bridge. Read more.
California 3D Printing Firm to Deliver 26 Homes for Homeless Veterans
By 3D-printing buildings with recycled materials instead of new resources, Azure Printed Homes aims to close the sustainability loop in the 3D homebuilding industry by getting closer to a circular economy. Read more.
Construction Underway on BCIT Burnaby's 12-Storey Mass Timber Student Housing Tower
The hybrid timber tower will be configured as two rectangular wings set at 90 degrees, with prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels supported by steel columns, and a steel braced frame for the staircase and elevator cores. Read more.
Historic Adobe in San Luis Obispo Could be Site for 20 Affordable Tiny Homes
Waterman Village, a joint affordable housing project between Smart Share and the city of San Luis Obispo, would turn Rosa Burton de Canet Adobe, a historic property, into 20 units of affordable tiny homes. Read more.
ICC Initiates Standards Process to Update Tiny Home Requirements
The International Code Council (ICC) has launched a new standards process to update the building requirements for tiny houses on a national level. This process aims to address the growing interest in tiny houses and ensure they meet safety standards and building codes. Read more.
Tallest Full-scale Building Ever Build on an Earthquake Simulator Put to the Test
A 10-story building made of cross-laminated timber will be tested on one of the world’s two largest earthquake simulators at the University of California San Diego this spring. Read more.
New Inspection Tech Combines BIM and Eye-Gaze Data
University of South Australia researchers are developing new eye-tracking technology using BIM and augmented reality to identify building defects early in the construction process. Read more.
Over 1,500 attendees gathered for the modular construction industry’s biggest event of the year—the Modular Building Institute’s (MBI’s) 2023 World of Modular conference and tradeshow. Read more.
Modular Home Builder Opens Factory in Cuero, TX
StudioBuilt by Amherst is projected to produce 60 homes every 30 days. Amherst aims to create more than 250 manufacturing jobs with this new factory. Read more.
3D Home Printer Mighty Buildings Opens Factory in Mexico
Californian headquartered prefabricated building company Mighty Buildings will open a 3D printed building factory in Monterrey, northern Mexico, to cater to the US market. Read more.
EllisDon Introduces New Hybrid Timber Floor Panels
The panels were created using cross-laminated timber with post-tensioning, steel reinforcement and concrete, creating prefabricated floors that are thinner and more sustainable than traditional materials. Read more.
Skanska USA Hires First Mass Timber, Prefab Lead
Skanska USA, the American branch of the Swedish-based contractor and developer, has hired its first U.S. director of mass timber and prefabrication. Dean Lewis will fill the role, based in his native Seattle. Read more.
Boxabl Announces Personalized Concepts for its Casita Home
Due to the increasing demand for affordable and personalized housing, Boxabl is now showcasing several facades to show how boxabl homeowners can easily customize their Boxabl. Read more.
Gov. Newsom Pledges 1,200 Tiny Homes for California’s Homeless
California will spend about $30 million to build 1,200 tiny houses across the state this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday, part of a plan to help house the nation’s largest homeless population. Read more.
Raleigh Looks to ADUs as Way to Address Affordable Housing, Now Tracks Permits, Construction
The city hopes its new tools, along with its ADU Fast Track program, will only help make the building process easier leading to more ADU and tiny house construction. Read more.
Swinerton JV Breaks Ground on North Carolina Mass-Timber Office Project
A joint venture between Swinerton and Monteith Construction has broken ground on a 67,000-square-foot mass-timber building at Live Oak Bank’s office campus in Wilmington, N.C. Read more.
ICON And BIG Reimagine Nomadic Campground El Cosmico With 3D-Printing Elements
ICON, a large-scale 3D printing company, has announced a collaboration with hospitality expert Liz Lambert (and renowned architecture firm BIG Bjarke Ingels Group) on a project to relocate and expand the infamous nomadic campground hotel El Cosmico in Marfa, Texas, US. Read more.
Engineering Expert Helps Builders Adopt Innovative Timber for Construction
Ying Hei Chui, a University of Alberta specialist in mass timber construction, and his team provide designers with the information they need to use CLT with confidence, supported by a $4-million grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. Read more.
Mercer International Inc. Signs Major Mass Timber Construction Project
The project, which is comprised of cross-laminated timber panels, glue-laminated beams and connector elements, is expected to utilize four months of capacity at Mercer’s Spokane facility on a one-shift basis over the course of 2023. Read more.
Ponce City Market's Timber-Built Offices Begin Vertical Construction in Atlanta's Fourth Ward
Developers are taking pride in the fact 619 Ponce will be built from Georgia-grown mass timber and a regional supply chain, a first for this type of construction in Georgia. Read more.
Oregon Lawmakers Earmark $20 Million For Modular Construction in New Housing Bill
Oregon lawmakers plan to spend nearly $200 million within the next few weeks to address housing and homelessness, including $20 million for affordable modular housing, describing it as a “down payment” with more to come. Read more.
This Bulletproof Concrete Modular Tiny Home has Seen Strong Demand in the US
Argentina-based Hüga has developed a modular bulletproof concrete tiny home that has piqued the interest of many American buyers. It has also created an award-winning online modular construction monitoring tool. Read more.
MBI Members Provide Testimony to White House Regarding Concerns about Davis-Bacon Act Expansion
On a recent call with the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), MBI members testified about the negative impacts of expanding the Davis-Bacon Act. Read more.
Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Announces 2023 PCI Design Awards Winners
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the PCI Design Awards program which recognizes creative and innovative uses of precast concrete. Winning projects will be recognized February 24 at the 2023 PCI Convention. Read more.
The Eddi Apartments is a six-story structure and will be one of the largest commercial wood-frame volumetric modular project in Minnesota and in the United States. Read more.
New Forestry Program Will Expand Manufacturing, Create Jobs in BC
The BC Timber Sales (BCTS) Value-Added Manufacturing Program will be open to facilities producing high-value products, such as mass timber, plywood, veneer, panelling and flooring. Read more.
Little Rock Introduces Plan to Build Tiny Homes for Homeless
The City of Little Rock has introduced a plan to assist with overcrowded shelters: A new tiny home village will have 80 homes, including a community kitchen, offices, bathrooms, and an emergency shelter with 20 beds. Read more.
Take a Walk Through One of the First Mass Timber Buildings Going Up in Utah
The Gardner Group is underway with a new six-story commercial building that is being heralded as among the first modern mass timber/CLT buildings in the Beehive State. Read more.
CA Civic Structure Opts for Mass Timber and Reaps Rewards
Although initially conceived as a concrete structure, switching to cross-laminted timber as the primary building material proved to have a host of benefits for the San Mateo County Office Building. Read more.
DLUHC Launches Plan for UK-Wide MMC Standard
The British government has commissioned the British Standards Institution to come up with a UK-wide standard for modern methods of construction homes, hopes to reduce the costs of prefabricated homes. Read more.
The First-Ever Top-Down Modular Skyscraper Under Construction In Detroit Is Nearly Complete
LiftBuild, a wholly owned subsidiary of Barton Malow, has lifted the final floorplate on the Exchange Building in downtown Detroit’s Greektown neighborhood, capping 14 total floorplate lifts plus the roof plate. Read more.
HUD Unveils New Report to Overcome Barriers to Offsite Construction
Offsite construction has the potential to deliver more affordable housing; the report was done in partnership with the National Institute of Building Sciences and MOD X. Read more or download the complete report.
Cassette Aims to Bring Scale to Prefab Housing—No Changes Allowed
Launched in the fall of 2022, Cassette creates a single product: a one-bedroom apartment pod that can stack up to six stories high into a multifamily development. Unlike many prefab endeavors, there is no customization and there are no change orders. Read more.
McGrath Acquires Vesta Modular and Concurrently Divests Adler Tank Rentals
McGrath RentCorp, a leading business-to-business rental company in North America, today announced that it has signed and closed a definitive agreement under which it acquired Vesta Modular a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries. Read more.
Modular Home Manufacturer Building Massive Facility in Butte
Representatives from Dvele, a company that designs, manufactures, and builds modular homes in the U.S. And Canada, is building a 450 ,000 square foot manufacturing plant at the Montana Connections Industrial Park in Silver Bow County. Read more.
Tiny Homes Startup Boxabl Aims to Address Affordable Housing Crisis
Using a factory mass production model, Boxable is building 20' x 20' tiny houses that are being delivered all over the country.
So far, Boxabl has built 300 houses, producing two per day, over 14 months of production at its Las Vegas factory. Read more.
UK-Based Modulex Modular Buildings Plans 20 Factories in 15 Countries, Will Export to US, EU & More
Modulex will take British steel modular building technology initially to India and five growth markets where long-term growing infrastructure needs are anticipated. Read more.
Through the Innovation Challenge 2022 (IC22), the company sought innovative, scalable proposals to remove barriers that currently prevent many households, including Black households, from purchasing or renting a home. Read more.
Florida Developer Using Prefab Technology to Replace Hurricane-Ravaged Fort Myers Homes
Brian Sodre, a lifelong Floridian and the founder of the tiny-home company Miniopolis, is on a mission to rebuild his community with tiny houses made of "structurally insulated paneling." Read more.
Colorado Launches $40M Program Promoting Manufacturing, Construction of Modular, Kit Homes
Colorado businesses will be reimbursed for up to 20 percent of monthly operating expenses for manufacturing modular and kit homes under a new $40 million state program. Read more.
The primary objective is to identify opportunities to update and develop new fire protection engineering data repositories, while also identifying ways for fire protection engineering software tools to better integrate with BIM. Read more.
$100 Million Portland, ME Museum of Art Expansion to be Built from Mass Timber
LEVER Architecture, the firm that recently won a $100 million bid to design a campus expansion for the Portland Museum of Art, designed the new wing primarily from cross-laminated timber and glulam. Read more.
Modular Firm VBC Develops Prototype for Marriott’s Second-Biggest Hotel Brand
Modular builder Volumetric Building Companies (VBC) has developed a steel-framed modular prototype for the “Fairfield by Marriott” hotel brand for use in European cities. Read more.
DeSimone Expands with Acquisition of Dowco Group’s Global Detailing and BIM Business
Engineering firm DeSimone Consulting Engineering D.P.C. has entered an agreement to acquire Langley, B.C.-based Dowco Group’s global detailing, preconstruction and building information modelling services business. Read more.
Los Angeles-Based Startup Azure is Using Recycled Plastic to 3D Print Backyard Studios and ADUs
Azure Printed Homes is reducing, reusing, and recycling by using a printing material composed primarily of post-consumer plastic. Azure says it can construct its tiny homes more efficiently than traditional construction, specifically 70% faster and 30% cheaper. Read more.
Samsung Deal with Forta Pro to Boost Modular Construction Around the World
South Korean construction and engineering company Samsung C&T has agreed to a deal with Latvian prefabricated building specialist Forta Pro, intending to scale up and advance smart modular construction manufacturing in markets around the world. Read more.
ATCO Acquires Southern Alberta Modular House Manufacturer Triple M Housing
Long-time Lethbridge homebuilder Triple M Housing has been acquired by ATCO Ltd. In a news release, ATCO said Triple M will operate as a specialized housing division for ATCO Structures within Canada. Read more.
Modular Build is Largest Project of its Kind in Manhattan Beach
"It was very unique in the way they delivered it," said City Traffic Engineer Erik Zandvliet. He added that although the giant crane effort was complex, it was the most efficient way to deliver the pieces with least amount of disruption to neighbors. Read more.
Northern Ontario Town Plans to Build 300 Modular Homes Per Year with New Factory
The town has partnered with a company called Due North Housing to host a new modular housing factory, which Delaurier said will create more than 150 local jobs. Read more.
U.S. Architects SOM Propose A Design For A Building That Absorbs Carbon Throughout Its Life Cycle
The technologies, systems and strategies the project brings together already exist today, although some, such as Direct Air Capture, have not been used before in the construction industry. Read more.
126-Unit Heartwood in Seattle Tops Out as First Type IV-C Tall Mass Timber Building in North America
Located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Heartwood is an eight-story, workforce housing building that utilizes cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor panels and a glulam post and beam system. Read more.
Kwikspace Opens New Branch in Richards Bay
The company, Africa’s largest supplier of prefabricated mobile units, hopes that the business opportunities acquired through various industries in Richards Bay will lead to further expansion in the Northern coast. Read more.
Understand the Landscape Between Digital Twins and BIM
Dean Douglas of BIM Academy examines the ins and outs of the relationship between digital twins and BIM – and explains why we need to go beyond the idea of “Building Information Modelling” to unlock the potential of both. Read more.
Industrialised Building System Prototype Proposes Solution for Urgent Housing Needs
The modular structure comes in ready-made parts that can be swiftly assembled on site, making the most of simple geometries and easy-to-source materials. Timber and steel provide the frame and exterior with interior surfaces made of laminated wood boards. Read more.
Plant Prefab Nabs $42 Million to Crank Out 'Extremely Sustainable' Custom Homes
Plant Prefab says it will eventually deliver as much as 900,000 square feet of “extremely sustainable” and “extremely healthy” housing per year. The startup estimates that’ll represent around 800 units annually, in a mix of homes, apartments and condos. Read more.
Clemson University Extends Leadership in Mass-Timber Research
New research at Clemson University brings together civil and environmental engineers, architects and foresters will work over the next three years to develop an all-timber structural floor system for buildings. Read more.
Covering Old Buildings in a Prefabricated ‘Second Skin’ Could Slash Heating Bills and Emissions
Ecoworks, a German startup, uses laser scanning technology to create a digital twin of a building. It then produces prefabricated panels that fit precisely over the old building, improving its insulation. Read more.
Studio RAP Designs a Sustainable Floating Home from Timber and Solid Cork
The use of mainly two materials, timber and cork, radically simplifies the dwelling‘s construction while creating details that are at once simple and elegant. Read more.
Bowdoin’s Pioneering Mass Timber Project Subject of Case Study
The completion of Barry Mills Hall and the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies, expected in January 2023, will mark a significant milestone in the development of a sustainable construction industry in Maine. Read more.
Philadelphia to Unveil its First-Ever Tiny House Village for Homeless
Modeled after a similar endeavor in Seattle, Philadelphis's Sanctuary Village will house up to 30 homeless individuals at a time that have been referred through local services. Read more.
UMaine Unveils First 3D-Printed Home in a Bid to Mass-Produce Affordable Housing
Researchers at the University of Maine on Monday unveiled what they say is a promising, climate-friendly response to the nation's affordable housing crisis: the world's first, bio-based 3D printed home. Read more.
Vancouver Housing Highrise Uses Modular Methods for Distinct Structure
The King Edward project will contain approximately 109 homes and is one of the largest modular projects taken on by BC Housing, an initiative that began in 2017 as a response to homelessness throughout Vancouver. Read more.
Developer Devean George Plans $19M Modular-Home Factory for Minneapolis North Loop
Devean George, an Augsburg University graduate and former pro basketball player turned real estate developer, plans to locate the $19 million facility in a building near the Minneapolis Farmers Market. It would make modular units for multi-family housing. Read more.
DC’s First Mass Timber Structure Opens in Navy Yard Neighborhood
Washington D.C.’s first mass timber commercial office building has opened at 80 M St. following three years of construction that intersected with Covid-19 pandemic challenges. Read more.
A California Startup Rolls Out Flat-Pack Tiny Homes Priced at $38K
Vika Living, founded by Jeff Howard and Scott Kevern in 2021, plans to deliver its foldable prefabricated tiny houses by the truckload to provide shelter wherever it’s needed most. Read more.
US Dept. of Energy Accelerates National Affordable Housing Upgrades
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) has launched a funding effort to reinvent the “ABCs” of building construction and renovation. Read more.
Marriott Hotel’s Prefabricated Exterior Panels Reduce Waste and Increase Efficiency
Marriot partnered with green construction design company Nexii, who prefabricated nearly 750 exterior panels for the hotel, shortening the construction period by an estimated eight to 10 weeks. Read more.
Tallest Mass Timber Tower to Rise in Toronto
Unix Housing Group has filed plans to build a 31-story apartment building at 191-199 College Street in Toronto that will become the tallest mass-timber structure in North America when it is completed. Read more.
National Institute of Building Sciences Announces Upcoming Release of COBie v3.0
COBie 3.0 also will be published as an integral part of the upcoming version 4.0 of the National BIM Standard – United States® and will update the Construction to Operations Building information exchange (COBie 2.4) Specification. Read more.
Salt Lake City Council Votes to Move Forward with Tiny Home Village to House Homeless
The tiny homes would be utilized as "recovery housing" for individuals experiencing homelessness, with services and resources to help them advance from the site. Read more.
Montreal Multi-Family Building Plugs Energy Leaks with Precast Concrete Balconies
ACDF Architecture’s project, Vivre—a residential building spread over 13,900 m2 (150,000 sf) in Montreal’s Outremont district—seamlessly integrates prefab balconies into its precast concrete envelope to solve for thermal bridging. Read more.
Case Study: The Tree House by Bell Phillips Architects
Bell Phillips has completed The Tree House, a multipurpose public pavilion constructed from cross-laminated timber around a plane tree in south London’s Elephant Park. Read more.
Industry leaders received an overview of NREL's seminal research in the field, as well as their very own blueprint—a copy of the Energy in Modular (EMOD) Buildings Method report. Read more.
CyBe to Build First-Ever 4-Story 3D-Printed Building
It will be assembled by Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC), which is a way of constructing completed and finished units off-site for on-site installation. Using this modular construction technology, 3D units are produced in controlled factory settings with optimized construction methods and building materials. Read more.
North American Lumber is Moving South
A new crop of lumber mills is popping up in the American South, where production capacity has exploded over the past year. But hat means swapping out Douglas Fir for younger and smaller trees that are more prone to warping, primarily Southern Pine.
But new uses for these woods, including cross-laminated timber, which is stronger and cheaper, offers promise. Read more.
MAST Designs a Sustainable, Modular System for Building Floating Architecture
Danish Maritime Architecture Studio MAST has developed the “Land on Water” project, a system that provides an adaptable solution to building almost anything on the water: floating homes, campsites, even small parks, and community centers.
The system is based on flat-pack floating foundations, easy to transport and assemble in various configurations. Read more.
San Mateo County’s Hybrid Mass Timber HQ Aims to Massively Cut Embodied Carbon
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)’s design for San Mateo County’s headquarters, which is currently under construction in the Silicon Valley, features a hybrid mass timber building which will achieve an 85 percent reduction in embodied carbon—which is greater than the 65 to 75 percent reduction generally offered by typical mass timber structures. Read more.
How AEC Companies Can Match Hardware Investment to BIM Use Cases
As BIM software platforms and user expectations continue to evolve, AEC companies may find it increasingly challenging to ensure they have the right equipment for the job.
So how can AEC companies ensure they make smart equipment decisions that lead to successful BIM deployment? Read more.
Federal Official Sees Mass Timber Future as 'Very Promising'
A Biden administration official says Oregon's mass-timber project, and 20 others around the nation, will go beyond current economic needs to stimulate the nation's emerging industries and develop a future workforce.
Its advocates say mass timber — a version of cross-laminated timber — holds the potential for regenerating jobs in forests and manufacturing. Read more.
U.S. National BIM Program Aims to Boost Construction’s Digital Transformation
Low technology adoption remains a critical issue for the U.S. construction industry’s efficiency and resiliency, according to the National Institute of Building Sciences. Now, NIBS has launched the U.S. National Building Information Management Program, with the goal of achieving a higher level of efficiency through digitalization. Read more.
'Inflatable' Concrete Homes are Coming to the Market Thanks to This Startup
The company, named Aotmatic Construction, says it has invented a new technique named the Inflatable Flexible Factory Formwork (or IFFF), which, with the help of an air pump and compressor, can inflate first the unrolled PVC formwork for the residential structure before a concrete mix reinforced by drop-stitch fibers is poured inside to settle. Read more.
Mighty Buildings, a technology company that is transforming the construction industry by 3D-printing beautiful, sustainable, and high-quality homes, announces today that it has completed delivery of the world’s first 3D-printed home designed as Zero Net Energy (ZNE) from its inception. Read more.
Intelligent City Wants to Automate the Future of Sustainable Housing
Housing technology startup Intelligent City Inc., founded in 2008, may finally be on the cusp of delivering on its vision: cheaply automating the manufacturing of whole chunks of mid-rise buildings out of wood, including façade panels, columns, and prefabricated flooring cassettes with preinstalled mechanical and electrical systems. Read more.
CLT Office Complex Takes Shape at 6344 Fountain in Hollywood
This week, design architect West of West announced the arrival of 125 cross-laminated timber panels at 6344 Fountain Avenue, where Bardas Investment Group is building a new 50,000-square-foot development through a combination of new construction and the reuse of an existing commercial building. Read more.
Hannah Begins Construction on "First Multi-Story 3D-Printed House in the US"
Ithaca, New York-based design studio Hannah has begun work on Cores, a building in Houston that it says will be the first multi-storey 3D-printed structure to be completed in the United States.
The hybrid structure is being constructed from 3D-printed concrete combined with wood framing and was designed as a multi-storey single-family home. Read more.
BMarko Structures announce Villavo, a brand-new division bringing large-scale manufacturing, design, construction, and development under the same umbrella to deliver high-quality modular apartments at massively quicker timeframes all over the US. Read more.
San Francisco Start-Up Cosmic Develops a Zero-Emissions, Next-Generation Modular Construction System
Led by California entrepreneur and architect Sasha Jokic, the San Francisco startup Cosmic has designed the first end-to-end virtual utility that enables homes to operate sustainably, completely off-grid. Read more.
Architects Come Up With Bold Vision for 105-Story CLT Skyscraper in Toronto
An architecture firm has an ambitious vision to bring a 105-storey, zero-carbon tower made of timber to the Toronto skyline.
In a presentation for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), architecture firm Dialog outlines a prototype for a gargantuan tower that meets a key environmental call to action. Read more.
Can Liv-Connected Crack the Modular Housing Code?
Liv-Connected, a modular construction company, is hard at work trying to solve the country’s housing crisis. Their solution? A customizable, prefabricated home that can be assembled on-site in four hours.
The components of the home are produced through CNC milling, providing not only “hyper-precise manufacturing” but the potential to scale up production in other factories. Read more.
UNBC Receives $132,000 Grant for Mass Timber Research
University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC)’s civil engineering assistant professor, Dr. Ramla Qureshi, and her team will be given a grant of $132,000 over a period of five years from the Discovery Grants (DG) program by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), to perform research on the resilience of wood-steel hybrid buildings. Read more.
WZMH Develops Modular System to Save Partially or Fully Destroyed Structures
WZMH Architects has developed a prefabricated modular system for salvaging thousands of structures across Ukraine that have been partially or fully destroyed. The modules would be fabricated off-site, installed on-site with a minimal workforce, and be 100% complete once ‘plugged’ in. Read more.
Project Frog Announces the Launch of KitConnect, a Design Management System for AEC
KitConnect is a SaaS Design Management Solution (DMS) for the AECO industry that enables building productization workflows in BIM. KitConnect offers a framework for repeatability, consistency, and scalability of building designs. Read more.
USDA Climate-Smart Forestry Project could lead to more affordable housing in Tacoma
The US Department of Agriculture is investing $20 million in a project to bring climate-smart forest practices to Tacoma.
The project was announced at the TUPAC Community Center in the city’s Hilltop community and is part of a larger effort to find ways to expand markets for climate-smart commodities like cross-laminated timber. Read more.
Modular Construction Startup Makes Pre-Fab High Rises Like Boeing Makes Airplanes
Assembly OSM is a modular construction startup that operates more like a car or airplane manufacturer than a traditional builder. As a result, it claims it can cut more carbon emissions than even the greenest builders at work today. Read more.
Salt Lake City's Proposed Tiny Home Village Moving Closer to Reality
What officials are considering now is a pilot project for local non-profit The Other Side Village. The first phase would include 60 tiny homes and be located on eight city-owned acres. If successful, the village could be expanded to cover up to 40 acres. Read more.
Modulous, a Seattle and London-based construction technology company helping developers and construction firms build modular housing without capital intensive factories, has raised $11.5 million of Series A funding to further grow its physical and digital technologies. Read more.
Two Wood Products Companies Announce Projects Totaling $92 Million in Alabama
New cross-laminated timber and wood pelleted factories are slated to open in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
“The forest products industry has long been a central pillar for Alabama’s economy, and its vitality is attracting significant levels of new investment and driving job growth across the state,” Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said. Read more.
NVO Construction seeks to change the construction process from stick-built to prefabricated homes
Serial entrepreneur Cheryl Lewis, founder of NVO Construction, wants to disrupt the way homes are built in Northern Nevada.
“Framing constitutes 15 to 20 percent of every build, and this is where we can make a huge impact on quality and cost,” says Lewis. Read more.
NIBS Launches U.S. National BIM Program to Transform Construction Industry
The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) has developed an implementation and launch plan for the U.S. National Building Information Management (BIM) Program. The aim: To achieve a new level of industrial efficiency through digitalization. Read more.
Backyard Home Manufacturer Abodu, Backed by Redfin CEO, is Launching in Seattle
Abodu, a Redwood City, Calif.-based startup that manufactures and delivers prefabricated backyard homes, is launching in the Seattle area.
This is the company’s first expansion outside of California, where it delivered more than 100 homes in 35 cities across northern and southern California. Read more.
BIMsmith and Bavis Fabacraft Partner to Provide BIM Tools for Building Professionals
Bavis Fabacraft, a leading manufacturer of drive-thru and walk-up equipment products for the building industry, and BIMsmith, the leading building product research platform for building professionals, have partnered to provide a new suite of Building Information Modeling (BIM) resources to the architecture and design community. Read more.
Tall-Timber Building Expected in Chicago, 151 Years After the Great Fire
In early 2023, developer Sterling Bay plans to break ground on Chicago’s first tall mass timber building, called 2100 N. Southport. The nine-story apartment building is seen as the city’s bellwether project, signifying a return to wood.
The building consists of prefabricated components, including glue-laminated columns and beams with cross-laminated timber flooring and a topping slab. Read more.
Quiznos and Taco Del Mar Hope to Spark Growth with Prefab Mini Drive-Thru Units
Hoping to speed the restaurant development process, the parent of Quiznos and Taco Del Mar on Wednesday unveiled a tiny prefabricated restaurant model with the option of no dine-in.
The move attempts to speed the development process with fully equipped modular buildings. Read more.
Mass-Timber Office in Portland is World's Largest Commercial 'Living Building'
Mass-timber framing, compostable toilets and a rooftop photovoltaic array are among the sustainable features in PAE Living Building, an Oregon office building that was designed and partly funded by US studio ZGF Architects.
A Living Building is one that "produces more energy than it needs", processes its own water and uses "healthy" materials. Read more.
The company, Azure, is currently working with three suppliers to source "post-industrial plastic" for its printing mix, Ross Maguire, who cofounded Azure to make construction more efficient and sustainable.
With the help of prefabrication, before a tiny home leaves Azure's 10,000-square-foot factory in Los Angeles, 99% of its finishes will be complete. Read more.
New California Building Codes Allow for High-Rise Mass Timber Buildings
California building codes were updated in July to allow for the construction of mass timber buildings up to 18 stories tall.
CalFire Fire Marshal Mike Richwine says: "The use of CLT [cross-laminated timber] provides increased opportunities to utilize timber affiliated with forest management activities and can encourage forest management on private, state and federal lands." Read more.
PA Governor Tom Wolf announced today that Guardian Booth, an industry-leading manufacturer of prefabricated structures, will create 33 new jobs with the relocation of its headquarters from New York New York. The company also plans to acquire Homes by Keystone, a prefabricated home builder, and retaining its employees. Read more.
Part of the site is expected to become a three-story complex of 88 modular “sleeping pods” and about 10 additional support structures for dining, offices, storage and common space uses, complete with wrap-around medical and social services. Read more.
North Las Vegas Factory at Home in Building Tiny Houses
Boxabl has a production facility just off Interstate 15 near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and another under construction in the same area.
Once the second factory is up and running, likely in two or three months, the dual facilities could produce about 5,000 tiny homes annually.
The company is now working with developers who want to create an entire town community of Boxabl homes in Arizona. Read more.
FORGE Announces Launch of Cold-Formed Steel Prefabrication Manufacturing Plant
FORGE, a one-stop-shop for structurally efficient and cost-effective, cold-formed steel (CFS) prefabrication, announces its official opening of their 152,000 SF manufacturing facility in Norcross, Georgia.
"Our goal is to drastically change traditional building methods in the construction industry," said Ricky Wimberly, Co-Founder/Owner. Read more.
Katerra Factory Buyer Acquires Pennsylvania Modular Facility, Targets Multifamily Construction
Volumetric Building Companies, the Philadelphia-based modular construction firm, recently acquired a Berwick, Pennsylvania, manufacturing facility to help expand operations in the northeast U.S.
The facility, which was previously used by another modular construction company but closed since 2017, features over 356,000 square feet of space and is expected to generate over 200 new jobs. Read more.
Offices Built with Cross-Laminated Timber Coming to Chinatown
Construction is underway on a five-story office complex in Los Angeles' Chinatown, among the first in the city built of cross-laminated timber.
When completed, the project will include 122,000 square feet of offices above 7,000 square feet of ground-floor shops and restaurants. An underground parking garage will hold 141 cars. Read more.
Tiny Infill Homes Seen as Important Affordable Housing Solution
Long-time Niagara Habitat for Humanity (H4H) COO Keith Gowans has switched from the charitable family housing sector to niche urban infill housing that targets singles and couples, launching his own business along with two former H4H colleagues.
His firm will be targeting neglected spaces such as parking lots, storage areas and other underutilized properties for prefabricated plug-and-play units either built on stilt-like supports or installed in tandems or communities. Read more.
Tide Construction Gets Green Light for 48-Storey Modular Tower
Modular builder and developer Tide Construction has received full approval for plans for a 48-storey student housing tower on the edge of Canary Wharf set to provide 1,068 bed spaces.
The scheme at 30 Marsh Wall, which will rise to 159m in height, is to be built out by Tide’s modular housing sister company Vision Modular Systems. Read more.
Habitat for Humanity P.E.I. to Build Modular Homes in Light of Supply, Labor Shortages
Pam Schurman Montgomery, CEO of Habitat for Humanity P.E.I., said the costs are similar to a traditional build. "It will [also] allow us to get our partner families into these homes faster. Having a modular build helps secure pricing and timelines, so we're pretty happy with that." Read more.
Clark Pacific, a leading provider of prefabricated systems that are transforming building design and construction, today announced CARBONSHIELD, a proprietary concrete mix with 50 percent less embodied carbon. When combined with the benefits of offsite construction and efficient design, CARBONSHIELD has a significant impact on construction's carbon footprint. Read more.
Tiny Homes are Being Assembled for Sacramento's Unhoused. Here's the Timeline.
Rows of tiny homes have started popping up in a vacant parking lot in Sacramento County. The tiny homes are at the site of a new "Safe Stay Community" being assembled by the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps. Read more.
nVolve Technologies was hired by Casata Corporation to build 1,000 units to be delivered to Casata rental communities around Texas.
NVolve’s College Station factory manufactures both customized structural insulated panels (SIPs) and complete architected and prefabricated micro housing units which are deployed on-site for rapid installation. Read more.
First Look: Ascent, The World's Tallest Timber Building
Though the tower won’t be fully completed and a grand opening celebrated until September, co-developer New Land Enterprises held a gathering at the 25-story tower Wednesday to celebrate the fact that the building – constructed of cross-laminated timber atop a concrete base – was officially named the world’s tallest timber-construction building in the world. Read more.
Peek Inside Phoenix's Next Affordable Housing Project, Old Shipping Containers
Local homebuilder and housing developer team up to deliver by truck an entire apartment complex made of old shipping containers to Phoenix by the end of May.
Low-income renters could snap up the apartments for $1,000 a month each, but when government assistance is applied to the rent, individuals would pay $300 a month out of pocket. Read more.
Agorus Raises $10M for Precision Offsite Construction Platform
So far, Agorus has completed building around 100 units across Southern California and Arizona, but according to investors in a recently announced funding round, the company has the potential to be an industry-wide disruptor in homebuilding.
Agorus CEO Garrett Moore has set a high goal for his construction technology company. “At scale, our vision as a company is to be the largest builder in the country by the end of the decade,” he said. Read more.
As one of the first companies in North America to apply automation and robotics to the design and manufacturing of prefabricated mass timber buildings, Intelligent City plans to scale operations, commercialize its Platforms for Life (P4L) building solution, grow factory automation, and expand its footprint across and beyond Canada.
Earlier this year, the company completed testing of its building systems and is now verified to work within the new mass timber high-rise building codes in Canada and the US. Read more.
This Modular Structure Concept Can Help Quickly Build Homes and Schools After Wars
REVIVAL is an architectural design concept that uses a block system. Each block has a collapsible design that starts with a steel frame. REVIVAL blocks have wall slabs that are made with an aluminum frame and filled with insulation like mineral wool. Blocks can be designed with specific purposes in mind, like lodging, medical, dining, sports, or classrooms. Read more.
Vermont's Fairbanks Museum Tests Innovative CLT Product in its New Addition
The new annex, which currently under construction, will be the first commercial structure ever built from eastern hemlock that has been processed into cross-laminated timber, or CLT.
While the hemlock CLT has generated plenty of buzz across the construction industry, no one has taken a chance to build with it before now. Read more.
Vantem, a Startup Founded by Bill Gates, is Building Cost-Effective Net Zero Modular Housing
Vantem is a startup construction company manufacturing high-efficiency, net-zero homes at competitive costs and low embodied carbon. The company recently raised a Series A round of investment from the Bill Gates-founded firm Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
The company plans to build 15 factories in the U.S. over the next seven years, each capable of producing a million square feet of homes each year. Read more.
Modular Startup Raises $38M, Says It’s “the Opposite of Katerra”
Assembly OSM, a modular construction startup that has compared its process to putting together Ikea furniture, raised $38 million in Series A funding.
Assembly calls its construction method “post-modular” because it is more akin to a car or aircraft assembly line than a traditional modular build-out, where the structure is put together on a single factory floor. Read more.
VESTA Modular Grows Into Northern California Through the Acquisition of Performance Modular, Inc.
VESTA Modular, a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC, acquired California-based Performance Modular, Inc. The acquisition is VESTA's fifth since partnering with Kinderhook in December 2020. Read more.
These reports contain a compete overview of the commercial modular construction industry—both permanent and relocatable—and includes exclusive data from member companies around the world. Read more.
Startup Raises $155 Million to Become ‘Rising Star’ in Prefabricated Construction
Based in Vancouver, Nexii Building Solutions has been described by The New York Times as “a rising star in the expanding green building industry,” combining a patented modular system with a reliance on 3D modeling software and third-party verification of its sustainability metrics.
Nexii’s patented building system involves the mass production of prefabricated panels for use in walls, floors, and roofs in an off-site factory, followed by rapid on-site assembly. Read more.
Coast Mountain College Boosts Indigenous Student Housing Using Modular Construction
The building is made up of modular student housing units grouped around a purpose-built central atrium. Inside, it houses a large cultural space, 108 student beds, two hotel suites, an elder suite, six shared kitchens, two collaboration areas, a computer lab, an Esports room, a maker space, and bike storage.
The structure integrates 36 prefabricated modules. The central structure was site-built, allowing for a unique cultural expression and creating a seamless transition between the modular construction. Read more.
Texas A&M Receives $3.74 Million For 3D-Printed Hempcrete Research
A plan from Texas A&M University researchers to 3D print new resilient buildings using hempcrete has the potential to lower the environmental impact of traditional construction methods and make housing more affordable and available.
Hempcrete has already been used globally in residential construction and prefabricated modular construction. Read more.
Whitmer Awards Grants to Help Build Modular Homes and Address Affordable Workforce Housing Shortages
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced seven local government and nonprofit organizations across the state will receive nearly $1.4 million to construct seven modular build/modified technology homes. The grants will reduce the typical single-family homeconstruction timeline and allows housing to be made available for immediate occupancy. Read more.
Stelling Properties, which specialises in modular construction, has used its expertise to design and build transportable accommodation inside shipping containers to help house those living in dangerous and freezing conditions in refugee camps across Europe.
Dubbed project Re:Haus, the endeavour runs as a separate staff-led charitable initiative and was started by the team just days after news of the war in Ukraine broke as a way in which they could put their expertise to good use. Read more.
UK Designer Creates Innovative Prefab House that Rises Above Water When it Detects Flooding
Technology research managers from the UK-based Flood Innovation Centre recently had the opportunity to see the prototype of one of the innovative products that they’ve championed in action - a house that’s designed to rise above the water when it detects flooding. Read more.
Blaze in Ruidoso Brings the Need for Affordable Housing to Forefront
The recent McBride Fire in New Mexico grew to nearly 6,200 acres, burned more than 200 homes and left two people dead earlier this year. Now Mayor Lynn Crawford of the Village of Ruidoso, a mountain town of about 8,000 residents, is stepping up to bring back affordable housing to the area.
Crawford said more money is needed to build out affordable housing developments and he and the village have reached out to modular home manufacturers and are in the process of putting out requests for proposals. Read more.
Maxed-Out Modular Townhouse Sets the Stage for Minimal Impact on Environment
The all-electric, modular property in Chantilly, Va., produces more energy than it uses and is a prototype for Van Metre Homes, a regional home builder based in Northern Virginia.
Van Metre Homes recently completed its second “POWERhaus” model, a modular constructed townhouse in Chantilly, Va., which the company is using as a prototype for future townhouse development. Its first prototype was a single-family home. Read more.
World-First 3D-Printed Community to be Created in California
US homebuilder Palari is collaborating with Singapore’s SML Group to expand a pipeline of master-planned, net zero energy, sustainable communities across California.
Palari Villas are built using modular construction methodology, including the use of 3D-printing, allowing Palari to build high quality homes that are better for the environment and affordable. Read more.
Cheap, Energy-Efficient Manufactured Homes? New Federal Standards Aim for Both
For traditional "stick-built" homes, conflicts over energy-efficiency standards tend to play out in local communities, not the highest level of the federal government.
The final federally-creating rules created different standards for single- and multi-section homes, setting looser requirements for the smaller units. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the separate policy approach is designed to ensure the cheapest manufactured units stay affordable. Read more.
Cambridge Study: Modular Construction 'Emits 45% Less Carbon than Traditional Methods'
Factory-produced homes can produce up to 45% less carbon that traditional methods of residential construction, according to new research by the University of Cambridge and Edinburgh Napier University.
A study found that two modular housing schemes designed by HTA Design, consisting of a total of nearly 900 homes, saved a combined 28,000 tonnes of carbon. Read more.
LifeArk Housing Complex for Homeless in El Monte Wins Praise
The units to house those transitioning out of homelessness are built from a pre-fabricated modular system made from high-density polyethylene.
“This is beautiful, this is what it’s all about,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “And we need to get more cities to join us, confront this issue of homelessness." Read more.
Vestis Systems Launches Ready-to-Install Balconies
The all-aluminum balcony system is primarily targeted for multifamily residential construction, with orders anticipated to range from 30 to 200 units, says Dan McGee, Vestis general manager and co-owner.
The prefabricated product also will minimize the number of subcontractors needed to build a balcony on-site, he adds. Read more.
KeyPlants Launches New POD Facility Concept for Pharma
The product, called X-press PODs, has been developed by KeyPlants, the Sweden-based provider of modular prefabricated facility solutions.
The new, portable on-demand (POD) facility will help pharma companies dramatically reduce the time it takes to set up new production, speed the development of cutting-edge therapies, and increase production flexibility. Read more.
Veev’s Circular Product Makes Home Construction Sustainable
The housing industry is now host to various methods of construction beyond the traditional timber frame, bricks and mortar building. Modular construction and pre-fabricated solutions are easing the strain on firms to erect homes at such a fast rate while minimising the environmental impacts at the same time.
Organizations like Veev, a pre-fab innovator developing vertically-integrated building solutions, are supporting the leading home builders that are burdened by the increased demand for housing. Read more.
CLT Core Used to Rapidly Build KW Women’s Shelter
Built on City of Kitchener-donated property through Canada's Rapid Housing Initiative, the YW Block Line Road Supportive Housing complex is a 2,130-square-metre, 41-one bedroom unit, four-storey building built entirely with cross laminated timber (CLT), including the stair and elevator shafts. Some glulam beams and columns were used on the ground floor entrance area, with some Douglas fir support the CLT entrance canopy. Read more.
Investor Set to Launch Modular Affordable Housing ‘Megafactory’
New legislation and a new business project in Grand Junction could translate into more attainable and affordable housing.
Mosaic Housing expects to be able to build a 100-unit apartment building every month. The factory is expected to be 224,000 square feet. That’s almost twice the size of your average Sam’s Club store. Read more.
Quartz Properties Pioneers Modular Build-For-Rent Communities Near Asheville, NC
Quartz Properties announces two new modular build-for-rent developments in Western North Carolina. The communities, Belle Meadow in West Asheville and Allison Acres in Waynesville, will provide much-needed rental supply of attainable residences to the greater Asheville market.
An off-site builder, Quartz will utilize modular construction to complete Belle Meadow and Allison Acres. Vertical construction will follow the completion of land development in 2023. Read more.
Inspire Brands Teams with CloudKitchens, Explores Modular Drive-Thru Units
Nixing dining rooms via new ghost and small, takeout-only restaurant builds could save on labor and development costs, said Frank Inoa, VP of design and engineering innovation. Read more.
Speed and Sustainability: The Luisenblock Shows What’s Possible with Mass Timber and Prefabrication
The new office building for the German Parliament was erected in mere months using a building system based on prefabricated wooden units.
Each working day, six massive timber modules were fully assembled at the factory, transported to the construction site, and assembled by the early evening. No doubt, this building was as quick, efficient, and sustainable as it gets in terms of construction. But what about the architecture? Read more.
Modular Home Builder Expansion to Bring 182 Jobs to Southeastern NC
Champion Home Builders coming to Scotland County after state offers $1.3 million incentive package. Company expects to recruit from counties throughout region.
“Eighty percent of our employee base will be in the manufacturing facility,” said Wade Lyall, Skyline Champion’s executive vice president, in an interview. “We’ll need plumbers. We’ll need electricians. We’ll need framers. We’re going to need craftsmen to do molding and trim.” Read more.
This 3D-Printed Housing Pod Can Be Built in Under a Day for Less than the Price of a Car
Japanese design firm Serendix Partners has produced a scalable 3D-printed housing pod that takes less than a day to create at minimal cost.
Joining forces with renowned architect Masayuki Sono, winner of NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, Serendix and Sono designed a small house that could be printed quickly enough to serve as emergency housing after a natural disaster like an earthquake or hurricane that destroys the population’s homes. Read more.
A group of investors has acquired 177 acres near a growing Grand Junction hospital, hoping to build hundreds of new apartments and a 237,000-square-foot plant capable of turning out 100 prefab apartment a month.
“No one has ever built something like this in the U.S.” said Ted Steers, who is part of a Front Range investment group planning a European-inspired factory in Grand Junction. “This is a key part to solving the workforce housing crisis. We need to build housing faster, better and more inexpensively.” Read more.
Check Out the Process Behind Apex Plaza, the New Tallest Mass Timber Building on the East Coast
William McDonough + Partners' new mass timber Apex Plaza project recently celebrated its completion in Charlottesville, Virginia. The 187,000-square-foot structure is now considered to be the largest such CLT project in the eastern United States.
Its completion is a major milestone for the use of the increasingly popular material in the U.S. and marks the end of a journey begun twenty years ago when the firm published a text from McDonough and EPEA International founder Michael Braungart outlining the “possibility of developing healthy and creatively interactive relationships between human settlements and the natural world.” Read more.
LEAP Housing Creates Shipping Container Homes During Boise's Housing Crisis
The housing crisis in the Treasure Valley doesn't seem to be letting up, forcing some people to find another place to live or downsize entirely.
The solutions seem slim to none, but the nonprofit LEAP Housing is taking matters into its own hands by building affordable homes out of storage materials. Read more.
2022 World of Modular Returns to Spectacular Success
The Modular Building Institute’s (MBI’s) 2022 World of Modular conference and tradeshow returned in grand fashion and attracted over 1,000 in-person and digital attendees from more than 20 countries.
The modular building industry’s largest and longest-running event drew modular construction professionals from around the world to network, exchange ideas, learn from experts, discuss issues, and receive well-deserved recognition at the La Cantera Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas. Read more.
Sacramento County Unveils Plan for First 'Safe Stay Community' to Shelter Homeless People
Sacramento County is announcing its first so-called Safe Stay Community, a new village of temporary tiny homes for people experiencing homelessness.
If approved, it would be built on a vacant lot on the southeast corner of Power Inn Road and Florin Road in south Sacramento. The lot used to be the site of a grocery store. Read more. See more.
Clark Pacific Transitions to Nearly 100% Renewable Energy
Clark Pacific, a constructor of prefabricated building systems, will install solar arrays across all of its facilities, transitioning its consumption to nearly 100% renewable energy through a partnership with NewGen Energy.
The solar arrays, which NewGen Energy began installing at Clark Pacific’s properties across California in December of 2021, will be fully operational in Q4 2022. Over 25 years, the move to solar is estimated to save more than $19 million. Read more.
An Alternative Solution for the Challenges of Single Stairways in High-Rise Buildings
Set to be showcased exclusively at FIREX International in May, EVACSTAC is a prefabricated structural steel tower solution designed to provide an alternative evacuation route for residents in the event of a fire, as well as support firefighters in shortening response times to high-rise incidents. Read more.
Virginia Tech Team Completes World-First Observation Tower with Innovative Low-Carbon Timber
A team of students and faculty at Virginia Tech has completed an innovative observation tower in rural Virginia. The design and delivery of the project saw the development and certification of a new hardwood cross-laminated timber product, off-site prefabrication, and the discovery of the ruins of a historic building. Read more.
Colorado lawmakers are aiming to increase the state’s stock of modular homes amid a statewide housing shortage that’s left many residents priced out of the market.
House Bill 1282, known as the Innovative Housing Incentive Program, would create a $40 million loan program that modular homes manufacturers could use to pay workers and cover operating expenses, including payroll, inventory and materials. Read more.
Study Shows Prefabrication Reduces Site Hazards By 20%
The study, commissioned by Stewart Milne Group for the Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) research project, found that crane-lift panelised building methods provide 20% less exposure to health and safety risks on site than open panel timber frame construction using a forklift. Read more.
Q&A: Modular Construction Startup Reimagines Apartments as a Consumer Product
As the housing crisis across America continues to escalate, established technology companies and startups alike – many of which are based in the San Francisco Bay Area – are looking for ways to address the mounting issue of housing affordability. San Jose-based Cloud Apartments, founded in 2020, is one such company looking to make a difference when it comes to providing modular-construction homes that are more affordable for renters. Read more.
Danish Firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Unveils Design for World's Tallest Timber Building
Danish studio Schmidt Hammer Lassen has revealed its design for a 100-metre-tall housing block in Switzerland, which will be the world's tallest timber building when it completes.
It will be comprised of four volumes of different heights, one of which will rise to 100 metres tall making it the world's tallest building with a load-bearing timber structure. Read more.
An architecture studio based in Kyiv is designing a modular village intended to shelter people who have been displaced from their homes as a result of the war in Ukraine.
The town project is designed in such a way that it can be implemented quickly and with whatever resources are available at hand. Having different material options cushions the project from the unpredictability of the war and any supply-chain shocks. Read more.
Sustainable Mass Timber Industry Evolving at MSU with Potential to Enhance Michigan’s Economy
Crain’s Detroit Business has named Sandra Lupien, director of MassTimber@MSU, to its inaugural “Notable Leaders in Sustainability” list.
Lupien talks about how MSU is leading in the research and application of mass timber and about how a growing and evolving mass timber industry can impact Michigan’s economy. Read more.
Arup Completes the Netherlands' Tallest Timber-Hybrid Residential Building
Arup has designed and engineered the Netherlands’ tallest timber-hybrid residential building.
Completed this year, HAUT is part of the country’s commitment to becoming climate-neutral by 2050, in which the use of timber as a building material has been identified as one of the most effective ways to accelerate decarbonization.
As detailed by Arup, the design principle for HAUT was “timber where possible, concrete and steel when necessary.” Read more.
Inside Colorado’s $40 million plan to boost housing factories
Simple Homes is one of a few prefabricated housing manufacturers in Colorado — a tiny but growing segment of the construction business. The idea of building parts of structures in factories has been around for decades, but it’s drawn new focus during the recent labor crunch and housing shortage.
This year, the industry is set to get another big boost: A bipartisan proposal in the state legislature would offer $40 million in grants for “innovative” housing manufacturers. Their hope is to not just build affordable housing but to boost the overall housing supply. Read more.
Dept. of Energy Awards $32 Million for Next-Generation Building Retrofits
The U.S. Dept. of Energy has awarded a total of $32 million for more than 30 next-generation building retrofit projects that will dramatically improve affordable housing technologies, according to a DOE news release.
Seven organizations will use the money to test renovation techniques that reduce disruption to tenants while upgrading the energy and environmental performance of buildings more quickly, affordably, and effectively, the release says. The techniques, such as prefabricating walls and drop-in replacements for heating, cooling, and hot water systems, can “revolutionize construction and renovation.” Read more.
Tiny Home Village Proposed in San Luis Obispo to Help Solve Homelessness
Becky Jorgeson is the founder and president of Hope’s Village, a nonprofit that has been working to establish a cohousing community to house unhoused people locally for 10 years.
Her vision includes 30 tiny homes, all surrounding a communal house in the middle that has bathrooms, offices and a commercial kitchen. Read more.
Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors & Panzica Construction Unlock Mass Timber Efficiency
The team behind Cleveland’s 512,000-sq-ft, eight-story INTRO apartment/retail complex unlocked the construction efficiencies of cross-laminated and mass timber.
There were several lessons learned along the way, but when it topped out, INTRO was briefly the tallest mass timber building in the U.S. at 115 ft. If Ascent in Milwaukee—a similar mixed-use building with a concrete core and CLT floors and ceilings and glulam columns and beams—is completed as planned this summer, it will pass INTRO and reach 284 ft tall. Read more.
Ground Broken on $40 Million Prefab Housing Manufacturing Plant in Bluefield, WV
Gov. Jim Justice was in Bluefield Tuesday for the official groundbreaking to welcome Omnis Building Technologies to the I-77 Exit 1 area.
The $40 million,150,000-square-foot facility manufactures revolutionary housing and will employ about 300. Justice called the new manufacturing facility, which uses concrete technology and can build a house in about two days, “amazing,” and said it will revolutionize the housing industry. Read more.
San Francisco's First Tiny Home Village for Unsheltered People Opens
One week ago, Ryan Bauer was living in a tent on the hard pavement on Gough Street south of Market. Now he’s living on the same pavement with a dramatic upgrade: He’s moved into his own tiny home, with a mattress, desk, chair and — most luxurious of all — a heater that quickly warms his 64-square-foot abode. That’s almost as crucial as a front door that locks from the inside and by a combination lock on the outside. Read more.
Governor Jay Inslee visited a Seattle tiny home village this week as part of a day of meetings with Puget Sound advocates and government leaders on the state’s homelessness crisis, while the Legislature considers more spending for policies that are proven to work.
The governor’s $800 million proposal would address "key gaps in facilities and services by exploring ways to help families and individuals remain in their homes; secure facilities for transitional and permanent housing; and expand behavioral health services," and would include $62 million for approximately 500 units in tiny home villages. Read more.
The Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA) announced the winners of the 20th Annual Building Excellence Awards at its member meeting on March 1, 2022. One of the most prominent offsite construction award programs, the Building Excellence Awards showcase the projects that best demonstrate the design flexibility, long-lasting energy performance and resiliency of structural insulated panels (SIPs).
“With the permanent adoption of more stringent building energy, low carbon and electrification codes across the country, building professionals are quickly recognizing SIPs as the answer to meeting criteria of a high-performance structure,” said Jack Armstrong, Executive Director and COO for SIPA. Read more.
Buildings of the Future Could Be Fully 3D Printed Using Recycled Glass
New research suggests that recycled glass can be used as a component of concrete for 3D printing.
The presence of glass does not only solve the problem of waste but also contributes to the development of a concrete with superior properties than that containing natural sand. If used in this way, waste glass can find a new life as part of a construction material. Read more.
“It’s Really Life Changing:” How Modular Housing is Alleviating Homelessness
Modular housing has quietly become a cost effective, not to mention dignified, way to house homeless people, as evidenced by a two-year-old City of Toronto program.
But to understand why modular housing is poised to become a resounding success in Canada’s largest city, one need only look at Vancouver, where it was first implemented. According to the creator of modular, or factory-produced, housing, its size, portability, and the method of production, prevents costs from ballooning. Read more.
Marriott, Carrier to Collaborate on IoT Connected Hotels
Carrier, a Florida-based air conditioning/HVAC company specializing in sustainable and intelligent building solutions, is joining forces with the Marriott Design Lab to develop advances such as IoT-connected hotels to improve guest experiences, as well as optimizing building systems for modular construction.
Marriott’s partnership with Carrier will also focus on how to streamline hotel construction to reduce costs, drive energy efficiency and shorten construction times. Read more.
Hegg Cos. to Expand Into Modular Construction with New Manufacturing Facility
Sioux Falls-based Hegg, known for development and construction, is adding a modular construction division, beginning with a 127,000-square-foot facility in Brandon, South Dakota.
Hegg Cos. president Paul Hegg says, “It’s really, really cool. Marriott and Hilton in particular have modular programs and are promoting this as the best deployment method for hospitality going forward. This is not new; it’s just not real prevalent in our area yet, but with all the labor woes and material acquisition, it’s time.” Read more.
City Donating Land for Modular Home Manufacturing Facility
The Sturgeon Bay Common Council has tentatively agreed to donate two city-owned lots in the industrial park to the Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) for a modular-home manufacturing facility.
Julie Schmelzer, DCEDC’s director of business development, said the facility would address an affordable-housing shortage and a lack of construction workers in the county and northeastern Wisconsin. Read more.
Oregon Bill Would Expand Development of Manufactured Homes to Benefit Wildfire Survivors
A bill moving through the Oregon legislature could expand locations where prefabricated and manufactured homes can be sited in the state.
Among its provisions, the legislation would prevent cities and counties from imposing optional standards that create obstacles to these homes being built, like the pitch of a roof angle, minimum building size, the presence of a carport or garage, house color or appearance.
“We are stipulating that manufactured homes should simply be held to the same standards that you would apply to any other kind of construction on the ground,” says Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, the bill’s sponsor. Read more.
San Jose Breaks Ground on City’s Fourth Emergency Interim Housing Site
San Jose leaders and homeless advocates broke ground on a new temporary housing project at a San Jose Police Department parking lot.
Last October the city voted to approve the prefabricated housing project near the Guadalupe River Park in an effort to address the city’s homeless crisis.
The 76-unit project will be located in a parking lot at the San Jose Police Department headquarters near West Taylor Street and will include 16 prefabricated structures. Read more.
This Hotel Made Up of Prefabricated Cabins Will Open its Doors in the Spring in New York
Prefabricated cabins continue to consolidate their presence in the tourist field. There are many characteristics that make them ideal tools to advance a more equitable sector, thanks to their affordability, mobility and localized construction. But not only this, but this type of accommodation, in principle, is more sustainable from the point of view of the environment. The New York startup Moliving is working along these lines, and after some time working on its prototypes, it will finally see a new hotel, Hurley House, which will have its cabins and will open this spring in the north of the state of New York. Read more.
Black Buffalo 3D Introduces Modular Construction Printer: The NEXCON™ 1G the Future of Construction
Black Buffalo 3D Corporation today launched its new, production-ready NEXCON™ 1G printer.
Black Buffalo 3D is a leading global provider of large-scale 3D printers for construction and proprietary concrete-based ink. NEXCON™ 3D printers take the best characteristics of 3D printing and address traditional challenges in the construction industry, granting printer operators the ability to create affordable housing, commercial buildings, infrastructure components and historically pre-cast components on-site and on-demand. Read more.
Tiny homes, Big Dreams: How Some Activists are Reimagining Shelter for the Homeless
With housing costs rising, tiny homes are spreading as a solution to homelessness in California, Indiana, Missouri, Oregon, and beyond. Arnold Schwarzenegger garnered considerable publicity in December when he donated money for 25 tiny houses for homeless veterans in Los Angeles. It reflects a growing interest in outside-the-box ideas to get unhoused people off the streets, especially during winter in cold climates and amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now a new tiny house community is being developed in Madison, Wisconsin. Read more.
Modular Housing Offers a Solution to Toronto’s Housing Crisis… But NIMBY’s Aren’t Happy
In a world where everyone’s in a rush to get ahead, modular construction offers nothing less than a shortcut to the future. Prefabrication can reduce the time it takes to build a structure from endless years to mere months. Better still, the final product is exactly as planned, promised and promoted.
But, says Daniel Ling, a partner at one of Toronto’s leading architectural practices, Montgomery Sisam Architects, “There are always NIMBY issues." Read more.
New Modular Housing Units to Give Some Reno Homeless People Sense of Stability
Next week, 45 modular housing units will open up near Reno's Cares Campus, giving some homeless people a sense of stability and a warm place to stay this winter.
The so-called ModPods, equipped with bedding, shelves, heating, air conditioning and electricity, are intended to provide safety and security for people who might not thrive in the nearby homeless shelter. Read more.
First Modular Standards Aim at Consistency in Design, Construction, Regulation
The aim is to bring consistency to offsite projects—for manufacturers, building teams and regulators. The standards, which are complementary, also are part of an effort to lower barriers to trade for offsite products, which often have to navigate a patchwork of regional regulations. Read more.
Andrew Staniforth and MaryAnne Gilmartin Plotting a Modular Empire with Assembly OSM
Modular construction startup Assembly OSM was founded by Chris Sharples and Bill Sharples, two of the founders of SHoP Architects, in 2019. While the Sharples brothers continue to oversee the company’s strategic direction, Andrew Staniforth took the reins as CEO late last year.
Its mission is clear: Assembly aims to turn the preconceived notion of modular construction on its head through the delivery of architecturally beautiful, high-rise buildings that are greener, cheaper and faster to construct. Read more.
Solving The Housing Crisis: What To Look For When Investing In Modular Housing
One industry I have watched and think could help solve some of these issues is modular homes; not much has changed about the basic process since the 1950s when prefab buildings were first launched. These buildings come ready-made and major components (walls, ceilings, panels, etc.) are manufactured remotely and shipped to sites for assembly.
The problem? Consumers generally think they’re ugly and of poor quality. Over the last half-century, however, I have seen how modular homes have drastically improved in design versatility, quality and cost. In fact, backyard houses have gained a lot of popularity as a form of modular construction solutions, and companies like Cover Technology, Emagispace and Blokable are rising to fill the demand. This move toward modular homes fits in with the growing popularity of tiny homes, RVS and camper vans in general. Read more.
Dvele's Prefab, Off-Grid Homes are Dedicated to the Environment
Sustainable architecture takes many forms. From minimal site impact to material selection to energy-efficient systems, homeowners have a lot to consider. One California-based builder has placed sustainable, technological and health considerations at the forefront of every design. The result is environmentally-friendly homes that serve fire-prone areas and cater to the needs of off-grid living. Read more.
Multifamily Housing Using Modular Buildings Provides an Affordable Housing Alternative
According to recent documents submitted to the City [of Atlanta], Impact Housing Group proposes to retain the existing 1350 square foot single-family wood-framed home on the property, as well as to stack the module units three levels high with two units end to end, creating six residential units each 550 square feet in size in one structure. In addition, an open area would separate another six-unit structure with a mono-roof spanning over the structures. Read more.
Off-Site Construction is Radically Changing the Rules of Architectural Design
The popularity of pre-designed and pre-fabricated homes is growing, moving much of the construction process from the building site into factories. While countries like Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom are increasingly adopting modular buildings to meet labor and housing shortages, Nordic countries like Sweden already build 90% of residential single-family houses in prefab wood. Read more.
Plant Prefab, which says it is the first Certified B Corporation building technology company dedicated to sustainable design, materials, and operations, has signed a long-term lease to open America’s “first automated factory devoted to efficiently and sustainably building multifamily developments and custom single-family homes.” Read more.
This Tiny Cabin was Built in 3 Weeks and Cost 30% Less than a Traditional House
If every new single-family house in the U.K. was built following these principles, cities could build more affordable homes in high-demand areas. This is especially true if the units are fabricated locally. “By embedding housing production very close to those communities, we can enable people to feel like they can be part of the solution to the housing crisis,” says AUAR cofounder and CEO Mollie Claypool. Read more.
How Modular Housing Is Changing the Game for Affordable Housing
For the right projects, [prefabrication is] a great option to lower costs and substantially shorten the delivery period. This will be especially true if efforts to pre-build the units prior to construction closing get to scale. It has major implications for permanent supportive housing, with strong urgency to deliver additional units. Read more.
Robots are the Future of Modular Construction
By freeing people from heavy lifting work, Rick Murdock co-founder and CEO of Autovol can make better use of employees’ brains, and “we’ve seen far less employee turnover and injuries in our automated areas because we’ve minimized the strenuous labor.”
He emphasizes the importance of the people in the plant. “At the end of the day, robots are nothing without people to program, schedule, and operate them. The robots are just tools.” Read more.
Prefab Homes Will Solve the Housing Crisis
With temperatures and homelessness rates rising, Eco Box Fabricators and Modal Homes think they may be part of the housing solution.
Both companies have experienced founders that are now lending their expertise to mass-producing homes—ones that reduce waste, save money, and look better than those already on the market. Read more.