The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in partnership with the National Institute of Building Sciences and MOD X, has released the Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap, a strategic report that presents the key knowledge gaps and research needs to overcome the barriers and challenges to offsite construction.
High prices for buyers and renters are forcing Americans out of their homes and making housing unattainable. This crisis is to a large extent driven by supply constraints.
Offsite construction has the potential to deliver more affordable and accessible single and multifamily housing at scale. However, offsite construction for housing in the U.S. faces several challenges to increase uptake and adoption. This stands in considerable contrast to more mature international offsite construction industries, such as those in the UK, Japan, and Sweden.
“We need an all-of-the-above approach to housing, and offsite construction represents a unique and underused opportunity to help meet the needs of America’s working families,” said AC Powell, JD, CPS, President and CEO of NIBS. “We applaud HUD for undertaking this research effort to overcome barriers and level the playing field for all construction methods to help alleviate the housing crisis.”
What’s in The Offsite Construction for Housing: Research Roadmap
The Research Roadmap was developed by a Project Technical Committee chaired by MOD X and composed of national and international stakeholders and cross-sector experts. It is intended as a roadmap for HUD to align its programs and partnerships, while simultaneously offering an industry-wide roadmap for governments, universities, and offsite companies to come together to advance offsite construction for housing.
The Research Roadmap covers six topical areas in need of coordinated research efforts, with sub-topics and specific research questions listed to help answer the knowledge gaps:
- Research Topic 1: Regulatory and Policy Framework.
- Research Topic 2: Standards and System Performance.
- Research Topic 3: Capital, Finance, and Insurance.
- Research Topic 4: Project Delivery and Contracts.
- Research Topic 5: Labor and Workforce Training and Management.
- Research Topic 6: Business Models and Economic Performance.
The NIBS Off-Site Construction Council
In 2013, the National Institute of Building Sciences established the Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) to serve as a research, education, and outreach center for relevant and current information on off-site design and construction for commercial, institutional, and multifamily facilities. NIBS staff and members of the OSCC have supported federal and private off-site construction research projects, including toolkits, roadmaps, and reports for the off-site industry. NIBS and the OSCC encourage OSCC members and other off-site stakeholders to submit reports or projects of interest that can help in the furthering of the council's goals. For more information, visit the OSCC.
About NIBS
National Institute of Building Sciences brings together labor and consumer interests, government representatives, regulatory agencies, and members of the building industry to identify and resolve problems and potential issues in the built environment. NIBS is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization. It was established by Congress in 1974. For more information, visit nibs.org or follow @bldgsciences on Twitter and Facebook.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Apr 10, 2018
Studio Gang’s 11 Hoyt brings over 480 apartments and 50,000-sf of amenity space to NYC
The tower is Tishman Speyer’s first ground up condominium project in New York City.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 28, 2018
The latest data in the multifamily ‘amenities war’
Download Multifamily Design+Construction’s free 16-page report on the amenities multifamily architects, builders, and developers are providing their tenants and code buyers.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 21, 2018
Apartments outperform office, retail, industrial properties: NMHC research
Apartments offer strong returns and relatively low risk, according to new research from the National Multifamily Housing Council Research Foundation.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 14, 2018
How to solve the housing crunch on college campuses
A growing number of public and private academic institutions are turning to designers and architects for alternative housing strategies—particularly in high-density areas on the East and West Coasts.
Hotel Facilities | Mar 6, 2018
A New Hampshire college offers student housing as hotel rooms during the summer
The opening of a new residence hall could help with Plymouth State University’s hospitality marketing.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 4, 2018
Katerra, a tech-driven GC, plots ambitious expansion
Investors flock to this vertically integrated startup, which automates its design and construction processes.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 28, 2018
Transwestern data points to demand for larger rental units among baby boomers
As baby boomers seek to downsize from large homes, developers are increasingly designing apartments specifically for this demographic.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 27, 2018
Victorian era gasholders become modern residences in London
The new residences are part of the King’s Cross redevelopment scheme.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 22, 2018
Multifamily building with 25,000 sf of amenities rises on the shore of the Potomac River
The building is part of the National Gateway mixed-use development at Potomac yard.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 15, 2018
United States ranks fourth for renter growth
Renters are on the rise in 21 of the 30 countries examined in RentCafé’s recent study.
