Materials & Methods

The principal at Spillman Farmer Architects chats about how off-site construction and BIM technology are changing construction and design communication.

Manufacturers and homebuilders say prefab construction on a national scale is no easy feat.

Hands on “making” informs the constructability of designs.

Oakwood Homes’ CEO shares his vision for the state-of-the-art off-site construction factory and the future of manufacturing innovation.

A lighter reinforcement material may help increase labor safety and battle concrete corrosion.

Sustainability, speed drive more developers to go higher with wood.

High-quality, factory-built homes are changing construction, for a price.

The project is an example of why more cities and designers might embrace modular techniques in the future.

Your next home could be constructed—or at least designed and engineered—half a world away.

It may be sooner than you think, though code hurdles remain.

The Plant Prefab CEO chats about investment in his prefabricated home building company by Amazon and Plant Prefab’s future plans for modular and panelized construction.

The comprehensive, automated factories producing homes in Europe and Japan have yet to catch on in the United States. Will global competition propel us into the future of housing?

The Kasita architect chats about the company’s prefabricated microhomes, the development of its smart home division, and the need to rethink the way we zone our cities.

Part two of our special report examines how the industry is evaluating the cost and value of off-site construction techniques and the accompanying digital design technologies.

The modular builder and co-founder of Dvele chats about how digitization will change the industry and about his company's approach to creating high-design, high-efficiency, factory-built homes.

Recognizing the impact of off-site construction on the industry, designers are thinking inside the modular box and planning for increased work using off-site methods.

Manufactured framing offers the promise of speedier cycle times and reduced reliance on both skilled and unskilled labor—if the industry can successfully adapt to the new technology.