Building Systems Week Highlights Innovative Solutions to Current Crises

Offsite construction continues to emerge as an innovative approach to challenges that impact the home building industry, whether it's effective response for disaster relief or reduced materials waste to cut down on costs. As a shortage of housing supply continues to contribute to the housing affordability crisis as well, the opportunity to expedite the home-building process through offsite construction, and the controlled environment in which systems-built homes or components are created, also provides a potential solution.

"Demand really drives our industry, and knowing what we know about that now, one of the things — and this is where offsite construction comes in so prominently — is that everything is new in a lot of ways," NAHB Immediate Past Chairman Greg Ugalde recently shared with Dave Cooper Live as part of a discussion on trying to close the gap on the U.S. housing shortage.

"How are we going to get this done? How are we going to be able to get the workforce that we need, the materials that we need? How can we do this the most efficiently under the constraints that we have?" he posited. "And by definition, it falls right into play with what offsite construction is all about."

Building Systems Week, Sept. 21-25, provides builders with an opportunity to learn more about the offsite construction industry, including the various types of building systems available, and how they can be utilized for different projects. Dave Cooper will serve as the moderator for this year's Building Systems Week webinars — registration is free — featuring experts from across the industry:

• Bringing a Fractured Industry Together: Modular Mobilization Coalition (Keynote Presentation) — Monday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m. ET. Modular Mobilization Coalition (MMC), a group of 20 small businesses and modular construction companies, will discuss its extensive experience in building standardized supplemental care units and multifamily projects. You will also be able to see the modular building process in progress.
• Panelized Construction: Versatility for Every Project — Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 10:30 a.m. ET. Learn how leading methods of panelization and a host of concrete building methods can be implemented in your next residential construction project. You will also receive resources for finding local providers in your area to help you get started.
• First-Time Success with Modular Construction — Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 2 p.m. ET. Modular construction offers an array of benefits, including reduced build time, but builders can oftentimes experience hiccups on their first modular project. Learn best practices from one of the leading builders of modular homes to keep your first systems-built housing project on track and on budget.
• The Impact of Modular & Panelized Construction on Affordable Housing — Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. ET. Eric Holt, assistant professor at the University of Denver, will discuss the yearlong research his team has put together on affordable housing through the lens of modular and panelized construction. Learn how system-built construction can impact the nation's housing affordability crisis.
• Builder Attitudes Towards Systems Built Construction — Thursday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. ET. Home Innovation Research Labs, an independent subsidiary of NAHB, will present its findings of a recent survey on how builders across the country are planning to implement systems-built technologies.
• State of the Offsite Construction Industry — Friday, Sept. 25, at 2 p.m. ET. Associate executives representing the leading forms of offsite construction will provide insight on their respective manufacturing methods. Learn about the important issues, opportunities and initiatives each group is tackling to overcome challenges in the systems-built housing community. NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz will also provide a special forecast about not only the general home building market, but specific and targeted data regarding offsite residential construction. Details on this session are forthcoming.

To register for webinars, visit nahb.org.

For more information on building systems in the immediate term, visit nahb.org.