Tag: offsite construction
During the 1970s, prefab was huge. Designers and builders recognized that they could save time and build cheaper and more accurately if they produced homes in factories. According to the US Census bureau, only 2% of single-family homes were prefab or modular in 2016. So why are there so few prefab houses today? From movie… Read more »
Labor shortages and increased demand through urbanization has led to a global housing shortage. The construction industry hasn’t changed much in the last 50 years but to meet this growing challenge, it must evolve to build houses in a way that’s faster, cheaper and more environmentally friendly. To meet this challenge, Metsä Wood’s Mikko Saavalainen,… Read more »
There is a pervasive myth that millennials will be a generation of renters. While they are off to a late start, millennials are investing in starter homes faster than the construction industry can build them. The perception that younger home seekers would rather rent than buy may have been true during the housing recession years,… Read more »
The age of concrete is over. Increasing urbanization means that over 70% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050 and, with the US building industry accounting for 39% of greenhouse gas emissions, construction needs to find ways to be more sustainable. Now wood construction is offering a renewable alternative that is revolutionizing… Read more »
When it comes to offsite construction, there are a lot of skeptics. They say, “We have seen this movie before”. People point to the fact that over the past 100 years, several companies have bet on prefab building and lost. Things have changed now. Since shop class disappeared from our school curriculum, a skilled labor… Read more »
Listen to the Podcast Hear IWBC Keynote Speaker Gerry McCaughey, CEO of California-based Entekra in an insightful Q&A podcast discussing a diversity of topics, including: Why is Europe so far ahead of North America in offsite construction? What is the difference between prefabricated components and fully integrated offsite construction? How does the quality of fully integrated… Read more »
In May the USDA announced that manufacturers and importers of softwood lumber had voted overwhelmingly to endorse the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) for another term. The vote saw 78% of companies, which represent 94% of the volume, cast their ballots in favor of the SLB. This level of support shows just how effective the SLB… Read more »
Andrew Waugh is a founding director of Waugh Thistleton Architects and one of the leading advocates of the use of engineered timber and offsite construction. From cinemas to synagogues, Waugh’s award-winning designs are championing the cause of low-carbon construction. His use of new technologies and innovative methods of construction have seen the design of several… Read more »