Sustainability | Building Materials | Land | Cycle Time
Industry Experts - Construction and Design
Sustainability (Decrease Utility Costs)
Utilities when owning or renting a house or apartment refer to essential services such as electricity, water, heating, and cooling that are required for daily living. High utility costs can negatively impact housing affordability by adding to monthly expenses, potentially straining budgets for homeowners or renters. Implementing energy-efficient technologies and practices, such as using energy-efficient appliances, improving insulation, and utilizing renewable energy sources, can help lower utility costs over time, benefiting both residents' financial situation and reducing the environmental impact associated with excessive energy consumption.
Relevant Innovative CompaniesVantem
Vantem - The Vantem Building System enables the rabid delivery of high quality, energ-efficient structures with the look and feel of traditional masonryconstruction. It is cost-effective, requires less labor, and is very thermally efficient.
Curtis & Ginsberg Architects - C+GA is pioneering new approaches to break through the budgetary barriers that previously made building energy-efficent and affordable multifamily housing difficulty. C+GA has designed the largest completed Passice House affordable housing building in the United States.
Building Materials
Building materials in home construction encompass various components such as wood, concrete, steel, bricks, roofing materials, and insulation. Fluctuations in the prices of building materials can significantly impact housing affordability. When the cost of materials rises, construction expenses increase, potentially leading to higher home prices and reduced affordability for homebuyers, particularly if the market is already sensitive to changes in costs.
Relevant Innovative Companies
Plantd - Plantd manufactures structural building panels made from the fastest-growing perennial grasses on earth. They are leading a shift to materials made from renewable grass and building the factory of the future to ensure atmospheric carbon captured in the fields locked away inside the walls and floors of new homes.
Diamond Age - Diamond Age is a 3D printing company. The main thing that differentiates this company is a system called factory on-site which uses 26 robotic arms attached to a 3D printing modular structure to perform tasks.
ICON - ICON develops advanced construction technologies that advance humanity. Using proprietary 3D printing robotics, software and advanced materials, ICON is shifting the paradigm of homebuilding on Earth and beyond.
TimberHP - Timber HP is the first wood-fiber insulation company to operate in the United States. By manufacturing wood-fiber insulation locally insead of importing it from Europe, costs are decreased by 300%.
BamCore - BamCore is a studless framing solution using timber bamboo to deliver customized, code-compliant wall system that is redefining the low-rise built environment.
T-Stud - TStud’s mission is to develop and inspire sustainable, tangible. energy efficent building solutions. TStud builds have owners already saving 15%-75% on their HVAC costs depending on insulation type with savings not just annually, but for the lifetime of the structure.
Kit Switch - Kit Switch’s kit of wall panels serves to convert vacant commercial buildings into housing. They are first commercializing bathroom and kitchen panels. Each unit is designed to be pre-manufactured, flat-packed and assembled on-site for reduced costs and timelines, and they outsource manufacturing and installation to focus on component design and our adaptive reuse expertise.
Madelon - Madelon has designed software that can analyze a location, and determine what can be built there based on size and zoning code.
Kit Switch Introduction - (13:52-16:00)
Land
The cost of land can significantly impact housing affordability. Scarce or expensive land in desirable areas can lead to higher property prices, translating into increased development costs and potentially making housing less affordable for buyers or renters, especially in regions with strong demand and limited available land.
Relavent Innovative Companies
University of Miami: LAND Platform - The Land Access for Neighborhood Development (LAND) mapping tool visualizes the distribution of local institutional and government-owned vacant and underused properties.
Acts Housing - Acts Housing supports families to purchase and rehabilitate distressed properties into stable homes through homebuyer counseling, representing families in a transaction and providing mortgage loans.
ProforMap - ProforMap is on a data driven mission to increase production of affordable housing by finding and evaluating suitable properties for development or preservation and informing better housing policy.
Cycle Time
Cycle times in construction refer to the duration it takes to complete a specific phase or activity within a construction project, from start to finish. Extended cycle times can have a negative impact on housing affordability by potentially raising overall construction costs. Delays in completing construction phases can lead to increased labor expenses, materials costs, and other overhead expenses, which can contribute to higher housing prices and reduced affordability for potential buyers.
Relevant Innovative Companies
Volumetric Building Companies (VBC) - VBC is a vertically integrated global volumetric modular construction leader headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, which locations across the United States and Europe. The company focuses on building the future by providing high quality, sustainably produced buildings in less time across varies market sectors utilizing its technology-enabled design and engineering model, precision-driven manufacturing capabilities, and project-proven modular construction expertise.
Module - Module is a housing start up based in Pittsburgh. Their homes enhance the quality of life for people living in them, people building them, & communities surrounding them. They’ve developed a housing system that combines the benefits of offsite construction with the power of net zero ready design. (Featured on PBS ‘Start Up’ Episode)
Blokable - Blockable’s comprehensive modular development model significantly reduces the cost and time required to create and operate new multi-family housing.
Autovol - Autovol is tackling affordable housing by using innovative technology to automate the modular construction process, cutting 40% of the traditional build time.
FullStack Modular - FullStack Modular merges modular building with new construction technologies to bring a higher level of control, predictability, and scalability to development. FullStack is the first fully integrated modular solution, allowing them to innovate modular building in the areas of design, manufacturing, and construction.
Connect Homes - Connect homes designs, builds, and installs modern, green, award-winning single family homes and interim housing solutions.
Connect Homes and Module featured - (10:14- 20:14)