A nationwide housing crisis has led to an urgent need for more housing. In response, architects and the building industry are looking for innovative solutions to quickly build more affordable multifamily structures, mixed-use developments, and single-family homes. Key to addressing the housing crisis is a creative, diverse design approach that supports the health, safety, and well-being of those most impacted by the crisis: low-income workers, the houseless, people of color, the elderly, and, increasingly, the middle-class. At the same time, the construction industry faces a grim reality—that the building industry is a significant contributor to the emissions of the greenhouse gases that impact climate change. This course looks at how structure systems like light-frame construction and mass timber can help address the urgent timeline and budget of the housing problem, and how wood’s low-carbon benefits and innovative, flexible applications can help to mitigate climate change.
Photo courtesy of Engberg Anderson Architects
Timber Lofts in Milwaukee. A direct reflection of its historic, yet trendsetting locale, Milwaukee’s first mass timber building, Timber Lofts, is an adaptive reuse project that combines a 130-year-old warehouse renovation with new construction in an adjacent parcel.16
LIGHT-FRAME WOOD CONSTRUCTION AND CREATIVE HOUSING SOLUTIONS
The current housing crisis in the United States is a complex issue with no single solution. One major factor in the crisis is a housing shortage. The U.S. has a deficit of 3.8 million housing units1, according to a 2021 report by economists at Freddie Mac. The government-sponsored purchaser of mortgage-backed securities claims the shortage is driven by a 40-year collapse in the construction of homes smaller than 1,400 square feet.2 Up for Growth, a national policy network focused on housing equity, released a 2022 report that came to the same conclusion3 using data on the total demand for housing and the total supply of available, habitable units.
As the demand for housing exceeds the supply, the cost of housing increases, making it harder for low- and moderate-income households to afford a place to live. In areas where the housing shortage is particularly acute, affordable housing options may become even scarcer, because landlords and property owners can charge higher rents and sell their properties for more money. This trend causes a ripple effect in which affordable housing becomes even more difficult to find and the problem of houselessness and housing insecurity becomes more widespread.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets the standard of housing affordability at 30% of household income,4 though that metric has come under scrutiny5 for not addressing complexities enough. Within the housing crisis issue, there are two main issues when we discuss “affordable” housing. First, there is “affordable housing” which is a housing type specifically designated for qualified low-income people. Second, there is the broader issue of “affordability,” which, in this case, has to do with low housing stock and high prices making housing less affordable to many people, in general. In other words, one problem is that the lack of housing is impacting those whose household incomes are at or below 30% of their area’s median income6—and even when they qualify for subsidized housing, their ability to find a home is still limited by supply. Another problem is that many middle-income Americans who once paid less than 30% of their income on housing are now among those paying 30% or more7 because income has not caught up with rent or mortgage costs. Currently, the median U.S. household income is $67,521.8 In June 2022, the median asking rent in the U.S. rose above $2,000.9 That amount, according to the HUD definition, is only “affordable” to households earning at least $80,000 per year.
Besides having a major impact on low- and middle-income Americans, the rise of housing costs and low supply of units is disproportionately affecting communities of color.10 Persistent racial disparities in economic stability11 and wealth position people of color at a disadvantage.
And because they are more likely to experience discrimination in the rental market, including being charged higher rents or being denied access to housing altogether, a housing crisis only perpetuates the disparities. The rising housing costs also contribute to gentrification, which impacts low-income neighborhoods, leading to the displacement of long-time residents, including people of color. Gentrification often leads to the loss of cultural and social ties that communities of color have built over generations.
One reason for the shortage can be attributed to the 2007 housing crash, which hit the construction industry hard, putting small home builders out of business and rattling the survivors. The industry has only recently begun to recover in a way that reflects a pre-bubble pace of construction. According to Harvard University’s 2022 edition of its annual State of the Nation’s Housing report, a decade of underbuilding has created a backlog for housing so large that it could take a decade or more of record-level homebuilding to increase affordability.
One challenge is that a lot of new construction is being priced at the upper end of the market, not at the middle or lower end of the market where it is needed most. Another problem is that some once-affordable housing is aging out of subsidy programs, including some that was built with U.S. Department of Agriculture grants in the 1960s, which is sometimes the only affordable housing option remaining in more rural areas. And in most cases, it’s the elderly, people of color, and people on the edge of houselessness that will suffer the impacts most.
Meanwhile, strong demand and low supply have increased housing prices. In March 2022, home price appreciation was at 20.6%.12 In addition, those who can afford to buy have sometimes been bidding 30% above the asking price.13 The Pew Research Institute reports that those skyrocketing costs have outpaced income for both low- and moderate-income people.14 For low-income people, even when properties accept tenant-based rental assistance, the housing itself may not be affordable in the current market. For moderate-income people with student debt or new millennial parents who formed families over the pandemic, the housing deficit and income-housing cost gap are causing strain. The Institute’s 2021 survey reported that 70% of Americans believe young adults today have a harder time buying a home than their parents did.15 The lack of affordable housing supply and the income-housing gap being experienced by middle-income households have created an urgent need for housing that is affordable to a broad range of people.
As organizations and governments seek new policies to address the issue of housing affordability, the architecture, engineering, and construction industry must consider designs and materials that can help offer solutions. Those solutions must result in diverse housing options that support the broad range of people affected by housing affordability issues. Adaptive reuse, multifamily and multi-use projects, and sustainable designs can all contribute to closing the housing shortage gap and providing affordable space. In addition, technologies such as modular construction can help both reduce costs and timelines, so that projects go up faster, while still supporting sustainability goals and the health, safety, and well-being of occupants.20
In this course, we will focus on light-frame wood and mass timber construction as one piece of the puzzle in addressing the housing crisis.
A nationwide housing crisis has led to an urgent need for more housing. In response, architects and the building industry are looking for innovative solutions to quickly build more affordable multifamily structures, mixed-use developments, and single-family homes. Key to addressing the housing crisis is a creative, diverse design approach that supports the health, safety, and well-being of those most impacted by the crisis: low-income workers, the houseless, people of color, the elderly, and, increasingly, the middle-class. At the same time, the construction industry faces a grim reality—that the building industry is a significant contributor to the emissions of the greenhouse gases that impact climate change. This course looks at how structure systems like light-frame construction and mass timber can help address the urgent timeline and budget of the housing problem, and how wood’s low-carbon benefits and innovative, flexible applications can help to mitigate climate change.
Photo courtesy of Engberg Anderson Architects
Timber Lofts in Milwaukee. A direct reflection of its historic, yet trendsetting locale, Milwaukee’s first mass timber building, Timber Lofts, is an adaptive reuse project that combines a 130-year-old warehouse renovation with new construction in an adjacent parcel.16
LIGHT-FRAME WOOD CONSTRUCTION AND CREATIVE HOUSING SOLUTIONS
The current housing crisis in the United States is a complex issue with no single solution. One major factor in the crisis is a housing shortage. The U.S. has a deficit of 3.8 million housing units1, according to a 2021 report by economists at Freddie Mac. The government-sponsored purchaser of mortgage-backed securities claims the shortage is driven by a 40-year collapse in the construction of homes smaller than 1,400 square feet.2 Up for Growth, a national policy network focused on housing equity, released a 2022 report that came to the same conclusion3 using data on the total demand for housing and the total supply of available, habitable units.
As the demand for housing exceeds the supply, the cost of housing increases, making it harder for low- and moderate-income households to afford a place to live. In areas where the housing shortage is particularly acute, affordable housing options may become even scarcer, because landlords and property owners can charge higher rents and sell their properties for more money. This trend causes a ripple effect in which affordable housing becomes even more difficult to find and the problem of houselessness and housing insecurity becomes more widespread.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets the standard of housing affordability at 30% of household income,4 though that metric has come under scrutiny5 for not addressing complexities enough. Within the housing crisis issue, there are two main issues when we discuss “affordable” housing. First, there is “affordable housing” which is a housing type specifically designated for qualified low-income people. Second, there is the broader issue of “affordability,” which, in this case, has to do with low housing stock and high prices making housing less affordable to many people, in general. In other words, one problem is that the lack of housing is impacting those whose household incomes are at or below 30% of their area’s median income6—and even when they qualify for subsidized housing, their ability to find a home is still limited by supply. Another problem is that many middle-income Americans who once paid less than 30% of their income on housing are now among those paying 30% or more7 because income has not caught up with rent or mortgage costs. Currently, the median U.S. household income is $67,521.8 In June 2022, the median asking rent in the U.S. rose above $2,000.9 That amount, according to the HUD definition, is only “affordable” to households earning at least $80,000 per year.
Besides having a major impact on low- and middle-income Americans, the rise of housing costs and low supply of units is disproportionately affecting communities of color.10 Persistent racial disparities in economic stability11 and wealth position people of color at a disadvantage.
And because they are more likely to experience discrimination in the rental market, including being charged higher rents or being denied access to housing altogether, a housing crisis only perpetuates the disparities. The rising housing costs also contribute to gentrification, which impacts low-income neighborhoods, leading to the displacement of long-time residents, including people of color. Gentrification often leads to the loss of cultural and social ties that communities of color have built over generations.
One reason for the shortage can be attributed to the 2007 housing crash, which hit the construction industry hard, putting small home builders out of business and rattling the survivors. The industry has only recently begun to recover in a way that reflects a pre-bubble pace of construction. According to Harvard University’s 2022 edition of its annual State of the Nation’s Housing report, a decade of underbuilding has created a backlog for housing so large that it could take a decade or more of record-level homebuilding to increase affordability.
One challenge is that a lot of new construction is being priced at the upper end of the market, not at the middle or lower end of the market where it is needed most. Another problem is that some once-affordable housing is aging out of subsidy programs, including some that was built with U.S. Department of Agriculture grants in the 1960s, which is sometimes the only affordable housing option remaining in more rural areas. And in most cases, it’s the elderly, people of color, and people on the edge of houselessness that will suffer the impacts most.
Meanwhile, strong demand and low supply have increased housing prices. In March 2022, home price appreciation was at 20.6%.12 In addition, those who can afford to buy have sometimes been bidding 30% above the asking price.13 The Pew Research Institute reports that those skyrocketing costs have outpaced income for both low- and moderate-income people.14 For low-income people, even when properties accept tenant-based rental assistance, the housing itself may not be affordable in the current market. For moderate-income people with student debt or new millennial parents who formed families over the pandemic, the housing deficit and income-housing cost gap are causing strain. The Institute’s 2021 survey reported that 70% of Americans believe young adults today have a harder time buying a home than their parents did.15 The lack of affordable housing supply and the income-housing gap being experienced by middle-income households have created an urgent need for housing that is affordable to a broad range of people.
As organizations and governments seek new policies to address the issue of housing affordability, the architecture, engineering, and construction industry must consider designs and materials that can help offer solutions. Those solutions must result in diverse housing options that support the broad range of people affected by housing affordability issues. Adaptive reuse, multifamily and multi-use projects, and sustainable designs can all contribute to closing the housing shortage gap and providing affordable space. In addition, technologies such as modular construction can help both reduce costs and timelines, so that projects go up faster, while still supporting sustainability goals and the health, safety, and well-being of occupants.20
In this course, we will focus on light-frame wood and mass timber construction as one piece of the puzzle in addressing the housing crisis.
Light-Frame Wood and Mass Timber Construction
Light-frame wood construction is a popular building method that uses dimensional lumber, typically made from softwoods like pine, spruce, and fir, to create the structural frame of a building. Wood is an abundant resource in North America, and because tradespeople are familiar with the materials and methods of wood construction, labor for light-frame construction projects can be cost-effective.
Dimensional lumber—lumber cut to standardized dimensions—also tends to be cheaper than custom-cut wood because it is produced in large quantities and is readily available from a variety of sources. The manufacturing process for dimensional lumber is also highly efficient since it involves cutting and planing the wood to specific dimensions, which can be done quickly and accurately with modern machinery. This results in a lower cost per board foot compared to other types of lumber, such as specialty or custom-cut pieces.
Additionally, because dimensional lumber is standardized, it can be produced and distributed in large quantities, which further reduces the cost of production and transportation.
It is this combination of high efficiency in manufacturing, large-scale production, and standardized dimensions that makes dimensional lumber a cost-effective option for construction projects.
Light-frame wood construction has been especially popular in single-family and low-rise multifamily homes in North America, but it is now also being used in a variety of larger projects, including mixed-use retail and residential and midrise construction. Cities are getting denser, spurring mixed-use projects that combine ground-level retail and several stories of residential units. Urban dwellers, millennials in particular, are seeking affordable dwellings that are close to work and include plenty of amenities. The process of using dimensional lumber to fasten a skeleton-like assembly of floors, walls, roofs, and stairs makes it a quick and structurally efficient approach. In addition, light-frame construction techniques can be used to manufacture prefabricated components that can be transported to construction sites, providing some cost and scheduling advantages for a wide variety of applications, including those with site-specific challenges.
Adaptive Reuse, Infill, and Overbuilds
New construction and major land-development projects can’t be the only solutions to the housing crisis. Planners and developers are turning to alternative ways of building up the housing stock through adaptive reuse, overbuilds, and infill development to make the most of available space. While infill is the development of vacant lots surrounded by existing buildings, overbuilds refer to building additional stories on top of an existing building, maximizing development area per square foot. Overbuilds often use as much of an existing building as possible, adding extra support as needed. Because limited demolition is required, overbuild projects often have a quicker turnaround than new construction. They allow for higher density while retaining the economic value and historical significance of the original building footprint.
Adaptive reuse refers to redevelopment that makes use of existing, often obsolete building stock for the purposes of contemporary living. Adaptive reuse projects have been on the rise for a few decades, but trending even more since the 2010s. The U.S. has a multitude of underused, abandoned, or functionally obsolete structures, with the U.S. government owning about 45,000 of them in 2014.17 Research from Yardi Matrix and RentCafe18 suggest that factories, hotels, schools, and warehouses are the most popular to repurpose into affordable housing.
Using light-frame wood or mass timber for infill or overbuild projects can increase the advantages of these types of builds. Since timber is 20% of the density of concrete,19 it proves advantageous when building on sites with poor soil conditions, requiring less foundational systems. Its lightweight nature makes it optimal for infills because it tends to use less heavy construction equipment than other building materials, and therefore can facilitate infill projects in tight, complex urban spaces.
With recent surges in these building trends, wood is helping to meet the needs of housing demand, satisfy developers, and achieve architects’ vision for housing that is beautiful, sustainable, and socially conscious.
Performance-Based Design and Codes
The pressure for architects to innovate, implement budget-friendly processes, and create repeatable designs coincides with and supports the need to solve both the housing crisis and address climate change. More stringent building and energy codes and an emphasis on resilience are leading to performance-based designs—a goal-oriented approach that specifically addresses performance-related criteria, such as energy use, operating cost, occupant comfort, daylighting, and HVAC size and cost, among others.
Light-frame wood construction and mass timber satisfy these value propositions, from environmental sustainability and resilience to creating distinctive buildings that appeal to the next generation of apartment dwellers, while meeting tight budgets and construction timelines.
In January 2019, the International Code Council (ICC) approved a set of proposals to allow tall wood buildings as part of the 2021 International Building Code (IBC).
Based on these proposals, the 2021 IBC includes three new construction types:
- Type IV-A – Maximum 18 stories, with noncombustible protection on all mass timber elements.
- Type IV-B – Maximum 12 stories, limited area of exposed mass timber walls and ceilings allowed. In the 2024 IBC, 100% exposed ceilings will be compliant in Type IV-B construction.
- Type IV-C – Maximum 9 stories, all mass timber permitted to be exposed (with a few exceptions e.g. shafts) and designed for a 2-hour fire resistance.
These new types are based on the existing Heavy Timber construction type (renamed Type IV-HT) but with specified hourly fire-resistance ratings for building elements and added levels of noncombustible protection. The code includes provisions for up to 18 stories of Type IV-A construction for residential occupancies (and business occupancies, too).
Podium construction is another way both light-frame and mass timber contribute to housing solutions. It refers to a light-frame or mass timber structure built over a one- or multi-story “podium” of another construction type. The International Building Code (IBC) Section 510.2 considers these constructions as separate structures built on top of each other; consequently, area limitations, continuity of fire walls, and allowable number of stories are considered separately.
Buildings must still comply with the maximum allowed building height for that construction type. The podium is typically concrete construction, with the upper slab acting as a three-hour fire-resistance-rated fire-separation and structural-transfer slab for the framing above it. This enables higher-density projects with additional stories while allowing project owners to take advantage of the lower cost and speedier construction of wood framing.
Some common configurations enabled by podium construction include four or five stories of residential use over retail, commercial, office, and/or parking. Mezzanines can be used in conjunction with podium construction to achieve even greater densities. Previous versions of the IBC only allowed podiums to be one story above the grade plane. The 2021 IBC allows multi-story podiums, opening the door for buildings with double podiums and five stories of wood framing above.
THE BENEFITS OF WOOD FOR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
Transitional housing helps shelter people who are houseless and people transitioning to homes. It is usually temporary—lasting from two weeks to two years—and works to stop people from spiraling into chronic crisis. As a temporary space, transitional housing often does not get the same level of focus that more permanent housing does and, as such, it may not offer the same indoor environmental quality (IEQ) elements that provide occupants light, acoustics, and aesthetic beauty. But all people deserve quality environments, even in transition, and wood is one material that can provide IEQ elements in a way that supports health, safety, and wellness for people who especially need it.25
One element of IEQ is aesthetics, in which the design contributes to an occupant’s sense of well-being. In recent years, architects have been achieving good aesthetic IEQ by using materials and designs that evoke nature. One of the most well-known of the approaches to nature-based and wellness-focused architecture is biophilic design. The premise behind biophilic design is the idea that incorporating natural elements—water, natural light, green plants, and exposed wood where you can see and feel the grain—into buildings can contribute to the health and well-being of occupants.26
Biophilic design has been associated with improvements in cognitive function, physical health, and psychological well-being.27 In the case of residential construction, biophilic design can be utilized for everyone from young people starting out on their own to retired occupants aging in place to people living in transitional spaces.
In so many ways, occupants in crisis need spaces free of stress as much as anyone. Stress is one of the leading health problems28 in our modern society, causing anxiety and difficulty focusing or interacting with others. According to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, people with poor mental health are more susceptible to the factors that can lead to homelessness: poverty, disaffiliation, and personal vulnerability. An inability to sustain employment leads to little income. Delusional thinking may lead them to withdraw from friends and family. The loss of support leaves them with fewer coping resources. But houselessness also amplifies poor mental health, and the stress of experiencing houselessness may exacerbate previous mental illness and lead to a vicious cycle.
“The needs of people experiencing homelessness with mental illnesses are similar to those without mental illnesses: physical safety, education, transportation, affordable housing, and affordable medical/dental treatment, the COH states on its website. When providing care to those experiencing homelessness, it is essential to create a non-threatening and supportive atmosphere, address basic needs (e.g. food and shelter), and provide accessible care.”29
Some research in the United States, Canada, Austria, and other countries suggests that humans automatically relax when surrounded by elements from the natural world.30 This is the type of aesthetic design architects are thinking about as they address the myriad housing crisis problems.
The housing crisis is not affecting all places and people in the U.S. equally. Cities with higher rents and lower rental-vacancy rates see higher per capita rates of houselessness.31 That means, while individual risk factors affect individuals in any given city, housing markets are the context. Seattle has a higher rate of houselessness than Chicago or Dallas. Research shows that individual vulnerabilities are more severe in places like Seattle where housing markets are less accommodating. In those less accommodating areas, houseless resources such as shelters and other transitional spaces become more overwhelmed.32 In response to the unique demands of short-term housing projects, architects and developers are increasing their focus on efficient construction methods, while incorporating thoughtful yet simple design considerations.
CARBON REDUCTION
The built environment is growing at a record pace: An estimated 3.5 million new housing units are needed to make up for the nation’s housing shortage. Buildings and their construction account for 39% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Twenty-eight percent of global emissions are from buildings in the form of operational carbon—the energy used to power, heat, and cool a structure—which can be reduced through energy efficiency measures. Policymakers, architects, developers, and engineers have made significant advances in this arena. The remaining 11% of global carbon emissions attributed to building construction are generated from building materials and construction. This “embodied carbon” can account for half of the total carbon footprint over the lifetime of the building. 40
To reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with construction, specifiers and stakeholders need to act now to create embodied carbon strategies that reduce environmental impacts from buildings we’ll use well into the future.
The threats of climate change—which are already being felt across the globe—carry a greater weight for low- and moderate-income groups and communities of color. The solution for affordable housing, therefore, carries with it the environmental weight of constructing more housing. This section looks at how wood’s ability to store carbon makes it an ideal product for buildings when it comes to meeting sustainability goals while supporting the health, safety, and well-being of those who require affordable housing.
In the face of climate change and the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, architects are seeking to decarbonize the built environment.
By now we know that climate change is one of the biggest threats to the planet. In the first installment of the 2022 IPCC report, the working group of scientists stated that climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying. Some of the changes are irreversible. However, strong sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide and other GHGs can limit climate change. Building construction is a prime place to start.
One key area for change is the specification of building products with low GHG emissions, including the replacement of concrete and steel with wood. The IPCC confirms that expanding the use of wood in multistory buildings could help mitigate climate change because wood-based systems represent 10%–20% less embodied energy41 than traditional concrete systems.
Wood products are approximately 50% carbon by dry weight.42 The use of wood products in buildings provides an additional environmental benefit by storing carbon removed from the atmosphere. This ability to store carbon makes wood an ideal material for buildings, which are designed for long service lives. This storage of carbon is a unique environmental attribute that does not exist with other structural products.
Embodied carbon is determined by conducting a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a product, assembly, or building throughout declared life cycle stages. Embodied carbon is measured for each stage of the product’s life cycle, allowing comparisons across any combination of stages. As buildings become more energy efficient, the upfront embodied carbon from materials begins to account for a higher proportion of a building’s carbon footprint.
Wood has other sustainable advantages beyond storing carbon: Unlike other building materials, wood is a renewable resource that can be harvested responsibly without diminishing its source. Data shows that global regions with the highest levels of industrial timber harvest and forest product output are also regions with the lowest rates of deforestation.43 Demand for forest products can actually increase the size of forests rather than decrease them. The annual rate of trees harvested for timber in the U.S. is less than 2% of the total available volume. Just a 1% increase in annual demand for industrial wood products could drive 77,000 square miles of new sustainably managed working forests.44
Forest management in the United States and Canada operates under federal, state, provincial, and local regulations to protect water quality, wildlife habitat, soil, and other natural resources. Training, continuing education, and certification for loggers and foresters support continuous improvement and the use of best management practices. Regeneration practices ensure forests have enough natural seeds, seedlings, and tree sprouts to grow for the future. Active forest management, or forest thinning, mitigates wildfires and cuts carbon emissions. It replenishes area waterways, expands wildlife habitat, and creates jobs in rural areas. And, finally, harvesting and replanting increases carbon sink abilities as younger trees sequester more carbon.
For young people moving into multifamily residences, the appeal of wood is a product of a concern for the environment but also a matter of quality of life and personal identity. In the face of climate crisis, younger generations want to occupy buildings that are sustainable in order to act as part of the solution to mitigate climate change. But they also want to inhabit a space that aligns with their philosophy at an aesthetic level, signaling sustainability through exposed beams or other wood interior elements—a design that’s in alignment with their values and where they can enjoy feeling at home.
PREFABRICATED WOOD KITS AS SCALABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS
Wood is well-suited to off-site prefabrication, offering cost, quality, and scheduling advantages.45 Assembling wood buildings as a prefabricated “kit of parts” has the added benefit of being a lower-carbon alternative to traditional site-built construction. Light-frame built on site and prefab wood are both well-suited to meet demands from owners, designers, and tenants for better buildings.
Offsite approaches tend to be cost-effective, replicable, and scalable. When architects consider cost-effectiveness they should not simply define it as choosing the cheapest option, but rather finding a balance between quality, performance, and cost to achieve the best overall value for the project. They need to take into account the entire design and construction process, from initial conceptualization to final installation. This includes selecting materials and products that are affordable and within budget, while also providing the necessary durability, sustainability, and aesthetic qualities. In addition to the upfront cost of materials and products, cost-effectiveness evaluations should look at the long-term costs associated with the building’s operation and maintenance. This includes energy efficiency, maintenance requirements, and potential for future repairs and replacement.
The cost-effectiveness of prefab construction comes from both long-term and short-term savings. Ready-made components are manufactured off-site in a factory, allowing for greater precision and quality control in the production process. This results in a faster and more efficient construction process, as the panels can be quickly assembled on-site. Prefabricated systems also require fewer on-site workers than traditional construction methods, reducing labor costs and the associated overhead expenses. The precision manufacturing process results in less waste and fewer materials being discarded, reducing disposal costs and minimizing the environmental impact of the construction process. And because prefab light-frame wood components are lightweight, they can be transported in large quantities, reducing transportation costs and minimizing the carbon footprint of the construction process.
The global modular multi-family housing market is anticipated to reach $25.35 billion in 2023 with a compound annual growth rate of 10.5%.46 In addition to rising housing costs and labor shortages, government incentives for sustainable, affordable housing will be key drivers of this growth.
For the AEC community, modular construction has efficiency and affordability advantages. A report by McKinsey & Company revealed that modular systems can speed construction by as much as 50% and cut costs by up to 20%.47 It earns green points for the use of recycled materials, tight building envelopes, waste reduction, and innovative building practices. And it is also an approach that is compatible with innovation in areas of universal design and smart home technologies.
END NOTES
1,2“Housing Supply: A Growing Deficit, Freddie Mac”
3“Housing Underproduction in the U.S., Up for Growth”, p. 36.
4HUD’s Public Housing Program, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
5"Rental Burdens: Rethinking Affordability Measures", Policy Development & Research Quarterly, HUD.
6,7"Housing Underproduction in the U.S., Up for Growth,", p.28.
8"Real Median Housing Income in the United States", FRED Economic Data.
9"Rents Across the U.S. Rise Above $2,000 a Month for the First Time Ever", National Public Radio.
10"Home Prices Rose Fastest in Communities of Color During the Pandemic", Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
11"Report: Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap", Coalition of Communities of Color.
12"Housing Prices in the U.S. Recorded Biggest Annual Increase in 35 Years", GlobalData.
13"Housing Underproduction in the U.S., Up for Growth", p.26.
14"Americans Are Less Likely than before COVID-19 to Want to Live in Cities, More Likely to Prefer Suburbs", Pew Research Center.
15"Key Facts About Housing Affordability in the U.S.", Pew Research Center.
16How Adaptive Reuse Can Help Solve the Housing Crisis, American Planning Association.
17"Yesterday’s Factories, Today’s Apartments: Adaptive Reuse at an All-Time High in the U.S."
18"Wood Is Leveling Up to Combat America’s Housing Crunch". Think Wood.
19,20"Wood in the Human Environment: Restorative properties of wood in the built environment". University of British Columbia.
21"Workplaces: Wellness + Wood = Productivity, Planet Ark Research Report".
22"The Science of Stress", South Louisiana Medical Associates.
23"About Homelessness: Mental Health", Canadian Observatory on Homelessness.
24"Why Do We Feel Better with Wood?" White paper by commArch.
25"Homelessness is a Housing Problem", Sightline Institute.
26"Why New York is Resorting to Tents to House Surge of Migrants", New York Times.
27"Bringing Embodied Carbon Upfront", World Green Building Council.
28"IPCC 6th Assessment Report: Impacts, Adaptation, Vulnerability". Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
29"Forest Carbon FAQs", United States Department of Agriculture.
30"The Growing Twenties", Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization.
31"Tree & Wood Facts", North American Forest Foundation.
32"Offsite and Modular Construction Explained", Whole Building Design Guide.
33"Worldwide Mulitfamily Modular and Prefabricated Housing Construction Industry to 2030 Report", GlobeNewswire.
34"Modular Construction: From Projects to Products", page 5, McKinsey & Company.
35,36,37"Detroit Eco Homes", Think Wood.
38"Wood Buildings Should be a Requirement of Any Climate Change Policy", Fast Company.
39"Detroit Eco Homes". Think Wood.
40"Freedom House case study", Think Wood.
41"Wood in the Human Environment: Restorative properties of wood in the built environment", University of British Columbia.
42,43,44,45"Freedom House case study", Think Wood.
46"Freedom House case study".
47,48,49,50"Matt’s Place Demonstration Project", Think Wood.
51"Iowa’s Second Mass Timber Project Underway in Valley Junction", Business Record.
52"Vilsack Highlights Mass Timber to Use Small Trees to Cut for Wildfire Prevention", Source New Mexico.
Erika Fredrickson is a writer/editor focusing on technology, environment, and history. She frequently contributes to continuing education courses and publications through Confluence Communications. www.confluencec.com
